An Integrated WRB Sheathing System Offers Big Benefits at Big Haus

Multifamily Construction That Presents Multiple Challenges

Showing up is half the battle. Many builders are feeling the pinch of supply shortages and delays, including Mark Stewart, owner of Stewart Development. During the construction of Big Haus, their recent multifamily project in the rolling hills of San Antonio, Texas, Mark and his teams were challenged with finding high-quality materials that would be available and delivered on time.

The other half of the battle was choosing a weather-resistive barrier (WRB) that would not only show up but stay up. Their structures would need to hold strong against high winds and unpredictable rainfalls to get dried-in—and move on to the next critical path—as quickly as possible.

Avoiding Material Shortages and Supply-Chain Delays

It's a tall order to find an integrated WRB that offers advanced protection and is in abundant supply. So, when Barry Vyvlecka, Project Executive at Stewart Development, heard his team could get their hands on Georgia-Pacific’s ForceField^® Weather Barrier System through The Home Depot, they jumped at the chance to help protect their multifamily project from the elements while staying on schedule.

“We were looking for a product for sheathing that would take care of a couple purposes. Because of what’s going on in the world with COVID and supply chains we wanted a product we could dry-in the quickest way. We looked at Forcefield [Weather Barrier System], then ran it by our architect. They checked it out and it's a proven Georgia-Pacific product, which you know they have a great product.”
-Barry Vyvlecka, Project Executive, Stewart Development

The sooner they could get materials to the jobsite, the sooner they could get dried-in and begin working inside. The more Mark, Barry and the team learned about the advantages of using ForceField Weather Barrier System on Big Haus, the more they realized it could mean big benefits for the integrity of their structures, their timelines and the company’s profitability.

Tough Against Air and Water Intrusion

Supply chain issues weren’t the only challenge facing the Stewart Development team. Big Haus, while set in a breathtaking landscape, meant the crew was dealing with high winds. Although this area of Texas doesn’t see frequent rainfall, a storm could blow in quickly and dump several inches of rain at once. The demands of the climate called for building products that would protect the structure, no matter the forecast. 

“Some of the benefits that you get from ForceField^® [Weather Barrier System], and on a jobsite like this in a climate like this, is that we're not worried about this windy day, we're not worried about the cold day. It's an integrated panel that really protects well against all these elements and the different climate change that we have from the spring to the summer, which could be 110 [degrees] here in San Antonio, down to 33 degrees that we're sitting in right now.”
-Adam Hermansen, Director of Field Sales, Georgia-Pacific

Designed with innovative technology, ForceField Weather Barrier System helps achieve a continuous building envelope that helps reduce the risk of water damage and minimize air leakage. Its features would help protect Big Haus during construction and beyond while adding to the strength and energy efficiency of the overall structure. 

Protecting Better Than Building Wrap

Every savvy developer must balance budgets, schedules and quality when selecting building products. Mark considered building wrap as an option, but seeing other projects deteriorating as a result of cheaper alternatives made him think again, looking to stronger materials that would deliver a greater return on investment.

“About a mile from [Big Haus], there's a building that's been sitting nine months with [house wrap] on it, which is what everybody used before they changed the technology to ForceField^® [Weather Barrier System],and it's whipping in the wind. They've replaced it twice. All the lumber behind it was weathering, twisting, warping—it's just not a good situation. We were able to get a better product.”
-Mark Stewart, Owner, Stewart Development

With a high-performance, integrated WRB sheathing system, Mark’s crew didn’t have to worry about product tearing, blowing, or detaching in high wind events before it could be covered like they would with house wrap. They didn’t have to eat the time, labor, and material costs of redoing and replacing the weather barrier.

Time Savings With a System for Walls and Sloped Roofs 

Barry and his team realized additional savings when they found out that they could use ForceField^® Weather Barrier System on walls and sloped roofs. ForceField^® Panels were installed across all of the wood-framed structures. Then, ForceField^® Seam Tape Plus was used to treat wall seams, and ForceField^® Premium Tape treated roof seams. 

“If somebody asked me about ForceField [Weather Barrier System], I would tell them to look at it seriously. It's a good moisture barrier for exterior and for roofing. It exceeds the performance over the years and pays for itself tenfold. If it's available and the price is right, get it. I mean, pretty simple.”
-Barry Vyvlecka, Project Executive, Stewart Development

With roofing materials in particularly short supply, the system’s versatility was a major factor in selecting the single-source system. Materials could be delivered onsite and on time, keeping the crew on the critical path.

A Single-Source System

Beyond being a high-performance building product, ForceField^® Weather Barrier System could help protect the entire structure with one system from a trusted manufacturer, Georgia-Pacific.

“Our project was delayed about seven months, so we were obviously under pressure in our budget, and also availability. With Georgia Pacific's ability to guarantee the product, having a big company in their name, and their history and reputation behind a new product was important for us.”
-Mark Stewart, Owner, Stewart Development

Installing ForceField Weather Barrier System from Georgia-Pacific helped Mark and his team reduce further delays from weather-related challenges and supply-chain issues, simplifying construction and dry-in without sacrificing quality.

Company Information:

Georgia-Pacific Forcefield^®
1-866-249-3639
https://bit.ly/3sTLn5G