Of course lapped siding always has some air gap.

thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply. This morning inbought 8 sheets of 1/4 4x8 ply. We ripped it down to 2.5 inchs and applied it 16 inch on center to 3 sides of the house. took about 4-5 hours, but i think it will be worth it in the long run. Any thoughts on how to allow the "air channels" below windows that dont run up to the rafter tales but dead end under windows Breathe? Siding starts wed. I cannot wait! Thanks again.javascript:amaf_insertHTML('%3Cimg%20src=/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/viewer.aspx?portalid=0&moduleid=369&attachid=2126%20border=0%20/%3E');amaf_toggleInline(2126,7093,0);

Ok, i think i figured out the photo thing. Here goes.

Excellent article Alton. Thank you

If you just need a small air gap of 1/8" or so, you can cut 6" wide strips of 30# roofing felt the required length and triple fold it so it is ~2" wide and then tack it to the wall ever 16" - 24". It will never go anywhere.

Brawler- don't worry about the dead end air spaces; the siding is not air tight so it will breath anyway. Remember to put screening on the bottom so you aren't building a huge pre manufactured hornet's nest.

I have said this before I will say it again. I have it on good authority that a product called " Home Slicker" by Benjamin Obdyke is the stuff to use .

In reseached home slicker and it was very expensive, i think 1500 bucs for my litle house. It is obviously a great product. Well siding is underway. Will keep you posted.

Brawler, what is the tan (board?) above the siding ? I am not talking about the furring strips.

Brawler, are those pump jacks? Do they work pretty well?

VB, not sure which board you mean. Pump jacks work really well. We have spent probably 80 hours on pumpjacks building the overhangs, braackets setting windows etc.. Still scares the #%&! out of me but after a few minute you forget where you are. One word of advice. If you mount a bracketon the sip where there is no lumber behind the osb it is best to run a panel screw all the way through the panel into a scrap of wood. Bullitproof!! Just make sure to seal the hole after removal.

Matt;

we have a  set they work great

VB i looked again. I think its just a starter strip.

Wondering if I should buy or rent pump jacks, or a 30 foot ladder, or both. Can you use the pump jacks with dimensional lumber, or is there a special vertical member that goes with it?

Both , you need the 30 ft. ladder to attach the top brackets for the pump jacks

Well ok, I could attach the top brackets from the roof, to which I normally climb from the balcony. But still the 30 foot ladder would surely help with the roofing membrane and the V-crimp. That settles it - I'll buy a 30 foot ladder and borrow Brawler's pump jacks!

I guess two people have to be on the pump jacks to operate them?

You can work em by yourself, going up is not so bad but real slow going down solo.

Posted By Brawler on 01 Apr 2010 06:44 AM
In reseached home slicker and it was very expensive, i think 1500 bucs for my litle house. It is obviously a great product. Well siding is underway. Will keep you posted.

It looks like you've installed Home Slicker AND a furring strip gap?  The H.S. is designed to guarantee a 6mm ventilation gap (the -10 version provides a 10mm gap- the minimum now required by code in Canada) even without using furring- just longer fasteners.  You're covered!

Begging to differ with jonr, Hardie installation instructions do not call out putting the housewrap between the siding & furring, backventilating the housewrap.  The generic no-gap instructions show the siding tight up against the felt/houswrap though. Backventilating the housewrap would make it nearly worthless as an air barrier, and putting it in direct contact with the siding reduces it's drain-plane capacity. Backventilating the siding allows it to dry quicker, and evens out the humidity between front and back sides.  I'd be surprised if more-rapid drying or better balanced front/back humidity compromises the siding in any way, but ventilating it from the high vapor drive of sun on wet cement-board surely enhances the longevity of the sheathing.  I couldn't find reference to placement of the housewrap in these instructions   or these.  Web-pics where rainscreens & ventilation gaps are being used in conjunction with cement board siding the felt or housewrap is against the sheathing, with the gap/rainscreen between it and the siding, eg here or here or here (all of which makes intuitive sense to me.)

Hardie installation instructions show no furring strips with OSB or foam and in the case of concrete block and furring strips, the wrap is outside the furring strips.

As seen here