Furring Strips Behind Siding

Furring strips furring strips may be necessary if you are installing vinyl siding over existing wood siding or stucco.

Furring strips behind siding.

A homeowner in southwest virginia wants to install engineered wood siding over exterior foam insulation but finds that the manufacturer s installation instructions raises concerns he hadn t thought of. Furring strips for use behind sheet siding. The most important thing is that the material be consistent in size to avoid walls looking warped. Installation details are key.

The first part of the system is the heavy duty sturdi strip furring strips which hold the siding away from the wall creating the necessary minimum capillary break 3 8 or 10mm that will allow moisture to drain away instead of becoming trapped. When using a thicker siding install a second furring strip on top of the horizontal furring strips to all the siding to lay flat step 3 install furring strips every 16 on center using fasteners that penetrate plywood 1 2. Some designs are using the up and down roof firring sometimes in 2x3 material with crosswise firring strips to provide a deep airflow channel so a lot of air flows from the bottom of the roof to the top ridege vent or ridge cupola thereby significantly reducing the heat transfer between the roofing and the sheathing in the warm hot months. Wall assemblies that incorporate rigid foam insulation over exterior sheathing followed by furring strips and siding are becoming common.

An air space of even 1 8th of an inch will do the job so what you use as furring is really only a spacer and isn t too important as long as your siding can grab it or grab the sheathing behind with longer nails. But writing in a q a post at green building advisor sonny chatum wonders whether this wall system often called a vented rainscreen is compatible with vinyl siding. Choosing the right furring strips is key to preserving a warranty for this engineered wood siding. In order to install wood furring pre treated wood needs to be selected and each measured and painstakingly cut into the proper width and length.

William costello is building a new house in southwest virginia that will be framed with 2x6s and will include up to 2 inches of exterior rigid foam insulation. 3 8 inch thick x 1 1 2 inch wide polypropylene furring strips attached vertically over air moisture barrier at face of each supporting stud to create capillary break between face of air moisture barrier and back of siding equal to cor a vent sturdi strips with sv 3 siding vent continuous at top and bottom by cor a vent inc.