Moisture Performance in Wood Frame Wall Systems: Complete Climate Performance

In this session results will be presented on the performance of wood frame wall systems with different types of exterior sheathings for a wide range of climatic conditions.  The wall hygrothermal performances will be shown as a function of interior and exterior climates.  Here the evolution of moisture performance will be shown for all seasons of the year and the resulting durability implications will be shown.  Two classes of exterior sheathings will be shown for more than 10 USA climate conditions.  The presentation will provide design recommendations that take into account the impact of initial moisture content and also vapor retarder strategies. The impact of design choices will show how critical each material selection becomes on the overall performance of these wall systems.  The impact of transient analysis will consolidate the findings.