andy everett wrote:

My thoughts on the pros and cons of back priming T-111 siding that will
go over Tyvek house wrap and cover a small stud framed cottage.

Back prime, pros, moisture from house will stay out of siding and reduce
paint peeling. Cons, extra paint and time. Moisture may be trapped in
wall causing premature rot of wall sheathing.

Don't back prime, pros, save money and time. Moisture will tend to rot
out the easier to replace T-111 siding and not the wall sheathing. Cons,
paint may blister faster as moisture tries to escape beneath paint.

Thank you for any thoughts on the matter you might share with me.

P.S. Seems like the proper application would call for 1x3 diagonal
sleepers to be installed first and then the back primed siding. This
would solve both potential problems (rot and paint blistering) or is
that over kill. I guess this would also cause some detail problems
around the windows and door?

Back prime the siding. This causes the siding to take in
moisture and release moisture at the same, or close to the same
rate, on front and back. This increases the lifespan of the paint.

The diagonal sleepers could just be lathe and don't have to be
diagonal. They can be vertical and accomplish the same thing.
The rainguard system (with the lath and breathable space) will
increase your profile and require you to extend the jambs of
windows and doors to accomodate the systems increased thickness.

If it were me, I would just backprime the siding and nail it up.
But if you have the time, money and inclination, install the
rainguard system.

In summation, the backpriming will contribute to the
effectiveness of the paint on your siding, extending its life,
therefore extending the protections against moisture intrusion,
therefore protecting the underlying sheathing.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX