Workshop wall design

[iwood]

I've been busy researching how best to put togther the timber framed walls on a new build workshop and one things still puzzles me.

The layers I have in mind are, from the inside:

1) internal cladding
2) vapour barrier
3) insulation
4) breatheable membrane
5) air gap (air flow runs vertically)
6) external cladding

The air gap in combination with my prefered vertical cladding complicates the contruction a bit but I've worked out a method which I'm happy with.

Looking through the builds here though it appears that no-one bothers with the air gap. Is the view then that it is unecessary overkill in a workshop? I think the theory behind it is to stop any water vapour which gets past the vapour barrier becoming trapped in the insulation and condensing out where it's least wanted.

 

[OLD]

You have listed the correct method the air gap is required to allow any moisture coming out of the breathable membrane or damp coming through the cladding to be dissipated so it should allow water ro run out the bottom of the wall,its not expected to be a large amount and if using feather board or lapped cladding which has access to the exterior it may not be required the trick is not to trap water in the structure .

 

[iwood]

Thanks Old. I think I'll keep the gap. Extra insurance to cover all the holes I'm bound to make in the vapour barrier.

I'm intending doing a thread on the build and have been collecting photos as I go. Rain though keeps holding up play!

At the moment I have a hole in the ground which measures 20 x 12 x 2. The base is three rows of british standard paving. I went deep in order to win enough headroom for a mezanine floor and still keep the height under 4m! What with the trench for the power cable it was one these jobs I never would've started had I only known. Still finished now and I'm half a stone lighter! Piccies once I get to the interesting wooden bits.