As the cost of building materials increase and building codes demand more effective envelopes, construction professionals are looking to taller wall sheathing to fill in the gaps. OSB wall sheathing already makes for a sustainable and cost-effective option but with taller OSB wall panels, the efficacy of the building envelope is increased by creating fewer seams while labor costs, waste and installation time are reduced.
Traditionally, wall sheathing is placed horizontally on the studs with an open joint seam running through the middle of the wall system. Now some innovative wall sheathing manufacturers are creating engineered taller wall sheathing panels that can be installed vertically. This provides a number of advantages for builders including lower labor costs and improved energy envelopes.
Innovative manufacturers like West Fraser that think outside the box have flipped the structural sheathing panels for vertical installation and increased their height. Longer wall sheathing like TallWall enables an overlap at the joists which eliminates hinge points to increase wall strength. Longer sheathing also reduces the number of seams which improves energy efficiency and makes for a stronger, smoother, flatter wall.
