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Old 03-22-2016, 11:25 AM
 
2,415 posts, read 4,245,316 times
Reputation: 3791

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Quote:
Originally Posted by tgalbraith View Post
In looking at these specs for Madeira, I do see a reference to "Zip Systems"...
http://www.elacora.com/media/4469/fe...bdxversion.pdf


In addition to all the above issues, it bears mentioning that while the warranty on the product appears on the surface to be an impressive "30 Year Warranty", what the builders (and Zip Wall) fail to tell you is that the warranty ONLY applies to the original owner, so if you buy a home with Zip Wall from a previous owner, you have no warranty on the wall system.


Also, for the system to be warranted, the tape has to be installed flat, smooth and free from wrinkles and bubbles, and the tape has to be centered on all the seams within 1/2".


I have seen 0 Zip Walls done correctly in the 7 years I've been inspecting them. None that I have witnessed would qualify for the warranty. I even inspected one yesterday that the builder claims was done by a "Certified" Zip Tape installer, and they had major installation problems with reverse flashing on the tape, holes at the top of the tape that would catch water, etc.


In addition to that, they only warranty replacement of the panels themselves.....not labor to replace them, nor repair the rest of your home if there is a problem! Who wants something replaced with something that is defective, even if it is free?!?


Compare that to the Warranty for virtually all housewrap manufacturers, who have material AND labor warranties that will repair your home (not just replace material) in the event of a failure of the housewrap.


Bottom Line....no matter what a sales rep tells you about the Zip Wall system, the chance that you actually have a warranty is slim to none when it's all said and done. Read the fine print and do your homework!






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Old 03-30-2016, 09:17 PM
 
Location: St Johns County
2 posts, read 2,405 times
Reputation: 10
Sorry, again just another biased opinion" - I'm not just a civil engineer (I have been a licensed PE in several states) and realtor but also I have been building high quality homes, townhouses, condos and apartments for 30 years and it is an irrefutable fact that the zip wall system is a great system if installed properly and highly recommended. I also am licensed in 6 states as a catastrophe adjuster for Allstate and State Farm, so I have "inspected" probably a whole lot more structures than any building inspector. I find it laughable that I am being called naive as I have probably forgot more about building systems than most will ever know. I can cherry pick photos and make all the accusations I want especially if I had zero, hands-on, liability and responsibility experience for what I built. The fact is I have built over 50 large apartment complexes with some that had over 300 units each, over 2000 homes and condos and have used many types of paneling systems, sheathing, Typar, Tyvek, felts and yes, Zip Wall and Tiger Wall- you name it. Only had 4 issues out of all and all of those were due to installation problems or substrate cavity gaps that held moisture. Get over your bias. Yes, I like Tyvek over sheathing the best, but I know the other systems are fine as just like any system, Tyvek is only as good as the installation.
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Old 03-31-2016, 08:22 PM
 
2,415 posts, read 4,245,316 times
Reputation: 3791
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texasbuck3 View Post
Sorry, again just another biased opinion" - I'm not just a civil engineer (I have been a licensed PE in several states) and realtor but also I have been building high quality homes, townhouses, condos and apartments for 30 years and it is an irrefutable fact that the zip wall system is a great system if installed properly and highly recommended. I also am licensed in 6 states as a catastrophe adjuster for Allstate and State Farm, so I have "inspected" probably a whole lot more structures than any building inspector. I find it laughable that I am being called naive as I have probably forgot more about building systems than most will ever know. I can cherry pick photos and make all the accusations I want especially if I had zero, hands-on, liability and responsibility experience for what I built. The fact is I have built over 50 large apartment complexes with some that had over 300 units each, over 2000 homes and condos and have used many types of paneling systems, sheathing, Typar, Tyvek, felts and yes, Zip Wall and Tiger Wall- you name it. Only had 4 issues out of all and all of those were due to installation problems or substrate cavity gaps that held moisture. Get over your bias. Yes, I like Tyvek over sheathing the best, but I know the other systems are fine as just like any system, Tyvek is only as good as the installation.


Quite an impressive resume` I would say, however, absolutely none of your stated experience qualifies you in any way to be an expert in modern day building science techniques. The technology and principles we use today are vastly different from just 10 years ago, let alone 30.


As for my bias...I don't understand the implication? Biased towards what? If helping to educate otherwise unknowing home buyers as to what they are actually getting, then so be it, I'm biased.


Fact is, your last sentence not only gives away your lack of actual building science knowledge, your need to boast of your great accomplishments on an anonymous internet message forum speaks a great deal about your own insecurities. I'm sorry if you are a realtor trying to sell homes being built with the Zip Wall system (hence your prior post being deleted for advertising), but science, common sense and physics will overrule any emotional attachment you may have to a particular method of construction.


Tyvek, for your information, is a high permeability product, rated at 59 perms. Almost every Building Scientist in the country determined years ago that a low perm product, between 5-20 perms is the optimal perm rating for a hot, humid climate such as Florida. Also, Tyvek is highly susceptible to the surfactants in stucco, and the tannins in wood, which will reduce it's surface tension and allow it to get wet and deteriorate. I have plenty of case studies and pictures of that, which, with your immense experience, I would think you would have such documents in your possession as well, but apparently not, since it is still your favorite. Most National builders won't even allow it to be installed on their homes that are built in hot, humid climates, which is why you hardly see it anymore anywhere in the State of Florida.


Ironically, Tyvek was invented 30 years ago, roughly about the same time you entered your vast building career it would appear, so the outdated technology of that product matches your knowledge of current scientific building standards.


I suggest you do some reading up on Joe Lstiburek or Phillip Wemhoff, two of the best building scientists out there, whom I've worked closely with in the past and whose research and opinions are much more regarded among building professionals today than anything you will see published on city data.


Again, I agree, Zip Wall, installed 100% perfectly, should work just fine for an undetermined amount of years (it has not been in the market long enough to be proven how long it will last), but again, I have yet to see one single building in the Jacksonville, Orlando or Tampa markets that has been done even close to 100% correct.


Lastly...you failed to address my statement about the warranty on Zip Wall not being transferable. Any homebuyer that buys a home from somebody else that has Zip Wall, does not have a warranty, period. It's publicly available information that can be accessed with a simple Google search, and it's actually the very first paragraph in their warranty document. It's almost a joke that you brag about all your lifelong accomplishments in construction, and then proclaim that the two least desirable products that can be used in a wall system in Florida are your favorites.


I must admit I'm very perplexed at your dissonance with my wanting to help potential homebuyers know what they are getting into, especially when it's a part of the home construction that they are very unaware of or educated about. Nevertheless, I'm sure your ego will feel the need to respond to this, and that's fine, but it will not sway in any way, shape or form my desire to help the visitors of this forum get the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about making what is typically the largest investment of their lives. So I suggest you put on your big boy pants and deal with it.


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