LP^® Structural Solutions Portfolio Defends Against Construction Delays and Drives Long-Term Efficiency

Homeowner Corey Walcott had one thing in mind when building his custom vacation home-the future. While his children are still young adults, Walcott was already thinking of grandchildren and longevity became an important factor for him and his wife when considering building products.

As a previous employee of LP Building Solutions, Walcott knew that the LP® Structural Solutions portfolio of products were engineered for durability and with resiliency in mind. So, for him the choice was obvious.

Walcott stumbled upon the lot for his house by chance, and he knew when he arrived that it would be the perfect place for his family. Working with builder Fourtees, Inc. and using LP Building Solutions, the 3,000-square-foot, five bedroom and three-and-a-half-bath home was crafted to provide memories for years to come.

Objectives

Walcott wanted a quiet, efficient and durable house. He also was set on an open design that would bring the family together. Located near Lake Norman in North Carolina, the house would experience 100+ degree summers and rainy winters. As a result, Walcott and Tom Lawley of Fourtees Inc. chose to work with LP Legacy® Premium Sub-flooring, LP® TechShield® Radiant Barrier, LP WeatherLogic® Air & Water Barrier and LP® SolidStart® I-Joists and LVL on the build.

While Walcott and Lawley were aligned on creating a highly efficient home, they had discussed a number of options for the building envelope. One option to keep temperatures in the house down was to expand the use of foam insulation. However, using LP TechShield panels in the attic allowed them to use less insulation in the build. They determined that LP TechShield Radiant Barrier helped economize not only in terms of the future energy savings but in short-term building costs.

Implementation

When choosing products, it was important that they could withstand all four seasons. Lawley used LP Legacy® sub-flooring and LP WeatherLogic® panels to defend the build against moisture.

"February and March 2019 were very wet and I didn't want the build to be slowed down," said Walcott. LP Legacy sub-flooring was used throughout the home. Walcott said, "It's real quiet, no nail pops or squeaks. We are not finishing the basement floor ceiling so the lack of noise is a big benefit."

Lawley relied on the strength of LP® SolidStart® I-Joists and LVL to support the open floor plan. "I was excited about being able to span an entire room without interruption by using LP SolidStart products. They provide strength and straightness that traditional materials cannot match," said Lawley.

Outcome

The installation of LP Legacy panels proved its worth with Walcott’s prediction of wet winters.

"Sure enough, there were pools of water in the house and we had some pretty good downpours and the floors stayed great and had no swelling whatsoever," said Walcott. "I felt secure with using the product because of its warranty."

Some of the LP Legacy sub-flooring was left outside during rain and it was still usable with no sanding or extra steps needed to properly install. Having a product that could handle wet conditions on the site allowed builders to stay on time.

The project was the first home that Lawley constructed using LP WeatherLogic and he was impressed with the ease of installing LP WeatherLogic panels. There was a noticeable difference between regular sheathing and conventional house wrap installation time and the time it took to install LP WeatherLogic panels, making the job faster and easier.

“Using LP WeatherLogic Air & Water Barrier for the first time was a great experience,” said Lawley “The framers loved the ease of installation, particularly how the LP WeatherLogic tape made installation quicker which allowed them to save time on the jobsite.”

Another noted benefit of LP WeatherLogic Air & Water Barrier was the reduced air leakage allowing for a more energy-efficient home. Given that longevity and durability was of utmost importance, the Walcotts were confident selecting LP WeatherLogic panels for sheathing. "We didn't want to worry about high air conditioning costs in the future and appreciate a tight building envelope to ensure the house's longevity."

The benefits of LP® TechShield® panels were immediately obvious to Walcott. Once installed, both Lawley and Walcott instantly sensed the difference in cooler attic temperatures and how the overlay protected heat from coming into the attic. Just by positioning his hand at the top of the attic and the bottom of the attic, Walcott could tell a difference in the temperature and was convinced it helped decrease attic temperatures.

Walcott felt that LP Structural Solutions products provided a great upgrade to the house and successfully met his goal of a house made with quality products. Ultimately, LP Legacy sub-flooring, LP SolidStart products, LP TechShield Radiant Barrier and LP WeatherLogic panels offered significant value in terms of jobsite efficiencies, energy-efficiency and strength. Using the portfolio of LP structural products on the Walcott's home provided durability and resiliency not only during construction, but also for years to come.

“We didn’t want to worry about high air conditioning costs in the future and appreciate a tight building envelope to ensure the house’s longevity.”

- Corey Walcott, Homeowner