July 2, 2007 - Horsham, PA - The National Building Code (NBC) of Canada, a model code which provides provinces, territories, and municipal governments with acceptable solutions to assist in the design of buildings, constantly changes to reflect new best practices in the construction industry. With each update, local governments adopt the code according to their unique needs in terms of geography and climate. Recently, the provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island were among those which adopted the latest changes to the code, along with the city of Vancouver.
Benjamin Obdyke Home Slicker
One key change made to accommodate new construction techniques is the requirement of rainscreen wall systems in regions prone to wind-driven rain, excessive amounts of rainfall, or high humidity. Rainscreen systems create a continuous space behind exterior cladding to promote drying and drainage, a thermal break, and pressure equalization, allowing moisture to escape before it promotes the growth of mold and mildew in the wall assembly. According to the code, not every city requires the use of a rainscreen system, only those which meet the moisture index and degree days as indicated in the code.
Builders and contractors in Canada are turning to two Benjamin Obdyke Home Slicker® products developed specifically for the Canadian building industry. Both products create the necessary 10mm spacing required by code that is needed between exterior cladding, such as wood shingles or shakes or fiber-cement siding, and the water resistive barrier in the wall system.
Home Slicker® 10 is a 10mm-thick nylon entangled fiber matrix that is installed between the exterior cladding and the water resistive barrier, such as building paper or housewrap. The product serves as a "capillary break", according to the language of the National Building Code, and creates a rainscreen system to allow moisture to escape.
Home Slicker® 10 Plus Typar® uses a similar polypropylene matrix that is bonded to the premium-grade Typar housewrap. In addition to incorporating the benefits of Home Slicker 10, it can significantly shorten installation time by eliminating the need to install Home Slicker separately from the housewrap in certain construction methods.
Home Slicker products have been used successfully on thousands of homes in the U.S. since 2002. Home Slicker Plus Typar, the combined rainscreen component/housewrap product, was introduced in 2004, while the Canadian products, Home Slicker 10 and Home Slicker 10 Plus Typar, were rolled out 2005 and 2007 respectively. The products work in much the same way as the installation of furring strips under cladding are used to alleviate moisture problems in wall assemblies. The advantages of using Home Slicker products are that they allow for better ventilation and even drying of the entire wall, and have a lower installed cost than furring strips.
To confirm that the products meet the requirements of the National Building Code of Canada, Benjamin Obdyke Incorporated, maker of residential roof and wall products, engaged Morrison Hershfield, an independent consulting engineering firm with offices across North America, including Vancouver, to conduct a study. The firm came to the opinion that Home Slicker 10 and Home Slicker 10 Plus Typar meet the performance criteria for wall cladding systems as indicated in the National Building Code (NBC), the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC), and the Vancouver Building Bylaw (VBBL).
Earlier in 2007, Intertek ETL SEMKO, a global product testing and certification firm with North American headquarters located in Cortland, NY, conducted an engineering evaluation of the two Home Slicker products to determine compliance with Section 9.27.2.2, Item 1b of the NBC and Section 9.27.2.2, Item 1b of the BCBC. It reported that the products meet the physical requirements of the two codes.
According to the Morrison Hershfield report, the Home Slicker products are relevant to the NBC, which stipulates a cladding assembly that is deemed to have a capillary break between the cladding and the backing assembly where "an open drainage material not less than 10mm thick and with a cross-sectional area that is not less than 80% open, is installed between the cladding and the backing, over the full height and width of the wall." The conclusion said, "Home Slicker 10 and Home Slicker 10 Plus Typar, installed per manufacturer's recommendations, meet the intent and wording of the NBC, BCBC, and VBBL."
Home Slicker products are appropriate for most exterior cladding materials, including wood shingles and shakes, fiber-cement shingles, planks, and sheets, as well as manufactured stone, stucco, EIFS, and brick. An alternate solution for homes with exterior cladding made of manufactured stone, stucco, EIFS, or brick is a two-ply deflection and ventilation system based on the proven Home Slicker technology known as Mortairvent®, made by and available from Advanced Building Products and Benjamin Obdyke.
For additional information on Benjamin Obdyke products or the recent product evaluations and certifications, go to www.benjaminobdyke.com or call 1-800-346-7655.
Benjamin Obdyke has been helping architects, builders, and contractors in Canada and the United States Build Better™ since 1868. Benjamin Obdyke develops, sources, markets, and sells proprietary roof and wall products that improve the building envelope and the performance of other building materials for the residential new construction, repair, and remodel markets. Innovations from Benjamin Obdyke, such as the first roofing ridge vent on a roll, the first wood roofing underlayment, and the first rolled product to provide drainage and air flow in rainscreen wall assemblies, have helped shape today's building practices. Headquartered in Horsham, PA, USA, Benjamin Obdyke partners with a network of distributors, dealers, buying groups, and cooperatives to reach building professionals in Canada and the United States. The website is www.benjaminobdyke.com. For more information about Benjamin Obdyke products, call 800-346-7655.