Any experiences with ArmorWall?
qbrt
| Posted in General Questions on
Got a recommendation to use this from our architect. His observation was because it’s sheathing; insulation; and a water, vapor, and air barrier all in one, it’s much faster to construct. He notes it’s more expensive than all of the individual pieces, but the massively reduced labor costs makes it a wash.
All of that sounds reasonable, but I can’t find very much on this product that isn’t from the manufacturer or a reseller, which I’m not thrilled with. Has anyone used this product, or know of it being used? How did it go? Is it still working well years later?
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Replies
Sorry I don't have the experience you're looking for. But I would check with contractors who've used it to get a real sense of the potential cost savings.
As a designer and specifier I've learned not to trust my hunches on what seems to me should be cheap. So much depends on the local availability of materials and what contractors are accustomed to.
Looking at the Dupont site it looks to me like they orient their marketing towards commercial applications and the contractors working in that environment may well see cost savings. Unfortunately they won't be the contractors bidding on a residential project. So if you're doing a residential project keep that in mind.
Thanks, I'm not that concerned about the cost question given they've used it on multiple different projects and found it worthwhile. I was primarily looking for views about the product itself.
qbrt,
Apart from it's fire resistance, is there anything that distinguishes it from Zip-R?
I'm certainly no product expert, but I think there are two important difference:
1. Integrated smart vapor barrier
2. No wood in the sheathing
The first one seems to be in line with the "this product does everything" schtick they seem to be going for. The second one actually seems quite nice -- not having to worry about how your sheathing will dry when it gets soaked is a definite positive.
qbrt,
I would imagine that like most products geared to commercial or large scale residential applications, the biggest problem will be getting a hold of some for a small residential project. If your architect has used it and has access to it, and the trades don't mind working with it, it sounds like a good product - but I have no useful experience to share.