WILMINGTON, N.C. - When veteran homebuilder Jeff Satterwhite first heard about Huber Engineered Woods LLC's new way to install walls and roofing - using panels that have built-in moisture and water-resistive barriers and are sealed at the seams with tape - he admitted he was more than skeptical. Five homes later, he has completely converted his business to using ZIP System™ Wall and Roof Sheathing.

"In the beginning I was a little skeptical about a system that used tape instead of housewrap or felt," said Satterwhite of Centerline Development in Wilmington, N.C. "I thought 'OK, we are going to stick tape to OSB? How well is that going to work?" Apparently extremely well.

"The ZIP System Wall and Roof Sheathing are going to be my standard systems from now on," Satterwhite said. "After using the tape, we found that it's extremely sticky and extremely tough. We've been very pleased with the tape installation and the durability even after several rainstorms with high winds."

Both ZIP System™ Wall Sheathing and ZIP System™ Roof Sheathing use a specially-designed water-resistant ZIP System™ Tape applied to custom-developed Huber Engineered Woods panels - 7/16" structural panel with built-in Stormex™ water-resistive barrier for walls and 1/2" structural panel with built-in Precipitek™ moisture barrier for roofs - to create a complete structural system. Builders reap benefits in time and efficiency by eliminating the need for housewrap and felt.

Satterwhite, a 25-year veteran and second-generation homebuilder, builds 15 to 20 homes per year in the $500,000 to $1 million price range. Currently, he and his crew are focused on two custom homes in Southport, N.C. He, his employees and subcontractors have previously used engineered wood panels and traditional housewrap for walls and roof felt as an underlayment for roofs. Now, Huber's easy-to-install ZIP System has changed that approach.

"The ZIP System products are so much easier to use because all the siding contractor, framer or roofer needs is a roll of the ZIP System Tape for installation as opposed to a roll of felt or a roll of housewrap," Satterwhite said.

"For walls, when our framers install the typical housewrap product, it comes in 9- and 10-foot rolls. Combine that with high ladders and working in a high-wind coastal environment and it can be cumbersome. Roof felt is difficult to maneuver, too," he said. "And because we are in a 130-mph wind zone, both can be such a problem. They blow off and become a trash problem, and the edges are difficult to secure, so you have to staple or nail quite a bit."

"Because using ZIP System Wall and Roof Sheathing eliminates housewrap and felt altogether, it means no repairs or rework, even in the harsh construction environment of the coastal region. "Roof felt has a very short shelf life in this region with the high salt content of the air, the wind factor and the sun," he said. "Felt goes from black to grey very quickly and rips and ripples, again meaning more repair or rework time. With ZIP System Roof Sheathing, that's never a concern."

In addition to offering ease of use, ZIP System Roof and Wall Sheathing offer benefits in time and performance. For the ZIP System Roof Sheathing, a compelling feature is that it speeds the rough dry-in process, which makes it easier to schedule downstream contractors.

"Subcontractors can get in faster to do interior work," Satterwhite said. "And roofers laying shingles love it. It lies super smooth - and always the fear with felt is that it could tear or rip off. With ZIP System, that doesn't happen."

A key benefit of both systems is moisture control. "This is a high mold and mildew area and if a typical engineered wood product gets wet and you install traditional housewrap over wet, it can produce mold and mildew," said Satterwhite. "With the ZIP System Wall, you don't have any of those issues. Once you have installed it and sealed the seams with the tape, you don't have the risk of that trapped water between the water-resistive barrier."

Satterwhite finds there are similar benefits with the roof product. "Once you are taped in, you can get your subs into a dry product. The sooner you can cut that water off from the framing members, the better you are," he said.

In addition to providing protection from water, ZIP System Wall Sheathing also meets the requirements for a Type 1 air retarder, which helps to reduce drafts that enter the home through the walls. By reducing drafts, the ZIP System Wall sheathing promotes energy efficiency in homes. Curb appeal with both products is another major attraction for builders and consumers alike. ZIP System Roof Sheathing, available in 4-foot-by-8-foot panels, results in a more attractive roof - a flatter, higher-quality appearance, which looks nice during construction and creates a more visually-appealing end product. ZIP System Wall panels, also 4-foot-by-8-foot, result in flat, smooth walls with no unattractive ripped or torn housewrap.

"With both ZIP System Roof and Wall Sheathing, you've got nice clean lines with black tape, and it makes quite an impression. The curb appeal is very high," said Satterwhite. "We've had customers driving down the road and say, 'What's that green wall board?' It's made an impression on our customers, and they are asking for the 'green wall' now or that 'brown roof with the black tape.'" Satterfield also noted that homeowners are drawn by ZIP System's warranty.

"I have to stand behind my product. Customers want to have a long-term warranty from a reputable manufacturer, and ZIP System does that and does it well," said Satterwhite, who says the product is so compelling that he uses ZIP System Wall and Roof Sheathing as a selling point when talking about his building services to homeowners.

Many of the initial test market builders who used ZIP System Wall or Roof Sheathing agree that time savings is the biggest benefit of both revolutionary systems. Satterfield estimates that the ZIP System Wall and Roof have stepped up his productivity by at least 20 percent. Huber market surveys show that the speed of construction can be increased up to 40 percent with ZIP System Roof, meaning homes are rough dried-in much quicker and building cycle times are reduced.

Miguel Hewett of Craig Lewis Builders has made the move to ZIP System Roof Sheathing, and he agrees. "The ZIP System Roof saves me so much time because you just put in the panels and tape and you're done," Hewett said. "There's no felt or rework. It hardly took any time for my crew to learn how to use the tape, and it just gets easier every time they use it."

Gary Adams of Adams Construction has converted to ZIP System Wall Sheathing. "With the ZIP System, I know I'm getting a higher-quality wall system and better protection for my houses. My framers like eliminating the hassles of housewrap installation and rework required when it blows off. I like the fact there's nothing to trap water."

Carlos Lopez of Lopez Homes is a ZIP convert, as well. "It is framer-friendly and very watertight," Lopez said. "The ZIP System is a great product. It does exactly what Huber says it will do."

Huber Engineered Woods LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corporation, a diversified, multinational supplier of engineered materials, natural resources and technology-based services to markets ranging from paper and energy to construction. Huber Engineered Woods LLC is a producer of value added engineered wood products for the residential construction market with manufacturing operations in Maine, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma. It manufactures specialty engineered panels and wood products that are used in residential applications such as floors, walls and roofs. Huber Engineered Woods LLC also serves industrial markets with products for door manufacturers and the transportation industry. For more information, visit www.huberwood.com/zip.

Contact: Heather Tamol
704/926-1326
htamol@wwlcreative.com