Timber frame / stress skin panels: whole house compromised
To anyone who could please help,
I found this website through hearing a Martin Holladay on a podcast.
Purchased a timber frame/stress skin panel home two years ago. We did not realize behind the clapboard the OSB has deteriorated to the point where you can break it away with a cough. It’s the entire house. Some sides are worse then others but it’s in sections throughout the home. We’ve had major bug infestations in the past year and a half, due to the extreme moisture buildup. The roof is the same way. The interior walls as best I know are not compromised. I have removed outlets and baseboard to check and osb is dry. Multiple panel companies have said that I might be saved by the foam insulation. If I can somehow replace the roof with traditional framing and re-apply new proper plywood and rain screen protection to the sides I can save my house. I’m willing to put the money into it but if I have to knock all the walls down I’ll have to walk away. I’ve had a million contractors come to home but no one has ever worked on these type of homes. And anyone I do call that does, only works on new construction. I live in the northeast CT area. I’m in desperate need of any consultants, contractors, or even a retired individual to come to my home and tell me how I can fix this. I have been down every avenue legally, politically, and insurance. We are stuck dealing with this issue. Life has its moments but we will see through it. I don’t like begging for help but I am at my wits end. If anyone can please refer me to someone who ACTUALLY knows their stuff, I would be tremendously greatly appreciated. Thanks you very much to whomever reads this. ( I added two photos of just one of the walls that is gone)
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Replies
Matthew,
The term you are using for these panels ("stress skin panels") was common in the 1980s, but most people now refer to this type of panel as a "structural insulated panel" (SIP).
Whether or not your house can be saved, or is destined for demolition, depends on the extent of the OSB rot. If the OSB rot is relatively minor, repairs may be possible. Here is a link to one story of a homeowner who took the risk of implementing SIP repairs: "A SIP Roof Repair in Wisconsin."
The usual mechanism for this type of failure is poor air sealing details at the SIP joints. If the SIP seams are leaky, warm interior air can escape at the seams, allowing moisture to condense on the back side of the roofing underlayment or cold WRB (or cold siding).
It's also possible that defective flashing details allowed rain to reach your OSB, leading to OSB rot.
It's impossible to provide advice over the internet. You need to have a site visit by an experienced structural engineer. When SIPs rot, you don't just have a sheathing problem -- you have a structural problem. Catastrophic failure is possible, so be careful.
Matthew,
If you need a consultant in northeast Connecticut, your best bet is:
Building Science Corporation
70 Main Street
Westford, MA 01886
978-589-5100
Matthew,
For more information on sealing SIP seams, see this article: "Air-Sealing SIP Seams."
You need to get a hold of the original drawing package for your house. The city should have it on file. This would get you the contact information of the engineer who designed the place and they might be able to help on best way to fix it.
If the walls are built with the SIP as load bearing, then you are most likely out of luck. If the timber frame is the structural part, the SIP is there only for racking/wind, then you can retrofit metal bracing to re-support the structure. Either way you need an engineer to look at it.