Thread: Insect Friendly Siding

I saw this the other day while I was doing an inspection in a new "green" development. I think it's a nice protected place for insects to live, but the architect said he designed it for aesthetics. Any thoughts?

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Originally Posted by John Achin

I saw this the other day while I was doing an inspection in a new "green" development. I think it's a nice protected place for insects to live, but the architect said he designed it for aesthetics. Any thoughts?

Oh yeah, aesthetics. I can see the love everyone would have for it. Gees, I do not want to start a list. Way to long.

Well, I hope your clients like it. Water problems, insect problems, rodent problem.

Did I say lousy job as well!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like building felt back there.

That is not supposed to be left exposed, nor is it considered a weatherproof siding.

Remember (if you've seen them) those "tar paper shacks" ... little shacks people lived in which has "tar paper" wrapped around them to try to keep the weather out?

That there is just a modern version of those "tar paper shacks".

Was there even anything behind that building felt, or was it just wrapped over the studs?

Water, cold, heat, insects, rodents, birds, you name it - that stuff is not going to stop anything.

It will, however, make for a nice "moisture sandwich" keeping moisture between those few-and-far-between siding boards and that building felt.

Was that architect a graduate of Acme? (Of Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote fame. )

So.... what else was "green" around there and, could it be stuffed into a pipe? Maybe hand rolled with Monsieur Zig-Zag?

Have you ever been to an art gallery where the so called paintings are just strange and rather senseless and useless. The reviewers are other artist that do the same type of work.

Originally Posted by John Achin

I saw this the other day while I was doing an inspection in a new "green" development. I think it's a nice protected place for insects to live, but the architect said he designed it for aesthetics. Any thoughts?

That's exactly the problem with some "architects". They design what they think is attractive -- never mind what will work well. Here, you have nice, crisp (and attractive) horizontal and vertical lines.

And a moisture nightmare waiting to happen.