Spacing and attachment of rain screen materials (specifically Sturdi-Strips)
Our wall system is double stud, the outer wall is 2x4s 16″ OC with 1/2″ Advantech sheathing. Siding is quarter sawn spruce clapboards (longest pieces are 6′).
We are planning (and have purchased) to use Cor-A-Vent Sturdi-Strips and the SV-3 vents, this is a 3/8″ rain screen gap.
My assumption is that best practice would be to:
-staple (about 1-1.5″ length staples) the Sturdi-Strips in line with our 16″ OC studs?
-then the clapboards would get nailed along this same interval?
-at areas where a clapboard ends off a stud, it would be ok to staple a small piece of Sturdi-Strip and nail the clapboard into the sheathing (because 1/2″ Advantech is pretty strong)
Or, from another perspective, is putting a Sturdi-Strip every 16″ excessive? Should we not pay that much attention to the studs and just rely on the sheathing for our staple/nail base, say every 24″ or so?
Thanks for helping a first time homebuilder!
Brian
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Replies
Brian, although fastening the battens to the sheathing at 24" would work (and might meet your code?) you will be better served doing as you first suggest and run them over the studs. At 24" your siding will probably telegraph the location of the battens over time, and although Advantech is strong, its weakest attribute is pull out strength of siding nails - especially where they extend out through the plastic strips which provide no lateral support.
As far as joining the siding: Many builders cut their pieces so the joints fall over studs. If you don't want to do that you can as you say fasten small pieces of the Cor-a-vent there. Remember to back that joint with a small strip of flashing or membrane lapped over the piece below. Good luck with your build!