Swingman said:

I often use what is called "vent skin" construction down here. It is not
recommended for all parts of the country, but works well on the Gulf Coast
There was an article in FHB some years back and they called it something
like "rain screen"??, but it was for a different part of the country.

Basically, instead of nailing the siding to the sheathing, it is nailed to
vertical 3/8 thick furring strips on top of the sheathing ... the resultant
cavity runs from the bottom of the sheathing, all the way up past the
soffit, and into the attic cavity.

This will a allow a roof with ridge vents to pull/circulate air through the
resulting space behind the siding, and any moisture trapped there will have
a chance to dry out. You need to put an insect screen at the bottom of the
cavity behind the siding, but that is easy with a new plastic product on the
market.

I did my current house this way and happy with the results.

The lower floor with brick masonry work is done in a similar fashion,
as is standard practice, but I wasn't about to do it on the rest of
the house. Maybe when we build our dream home in the woods. With the
98% humidity levels here in the summer, it would be a good thing.

IMHO, if they had properly wrapped this house, and made sure the
sheathing was contiguous, it would have stopped most of the mold that
was present. Much of the moisture was migrating through the walls
from the inside of the house.


Greg G.