Furring strip attachment for a detached garage rainscreen
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Greetings all! I’m building a 22×22 detached garage. Basic construction is 2×6 framing with 1/2″ plywood sheathing, covered by a Typar WRB. I’m planning on 5/16″ fiber cement lap siding with a 5″ exposure, and I’d like to install the siding in a rainscreen system over 3/4″ airspace created by 1×3 furring strips. My question: how to attach said furring strips? Most sources say use screws, but often they are going through multiple inches of foam. Expensive structural connectors like Headloks seem like overkill as my furring strips will attach directly through the sheathing into the framing. Could I use nails in this case, such as the 8d ring shanks I have left over from sheathing? Thanks!
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Replies
You can use regular framing nails. Depending on the siding manufaturer (check their data sheet for rain screen info), you need between 0.75" to 1" of embed into the stud. So if you are nailing up 1x4s, you need between 2" to 2.5" nails.