Installing Wall Membrane, Windows and Door

I wasn’t born in a log cabin, but my family moved into one as soon as they could afford it.

-Melville D. Landon, humorist, 1839 – 1910

This is where your wood frame shell starts to look like something more. And as usual with this cabin, the details I recommend go beyond the ordinary.

Keeping rain out is what exterior siding, windows and doors are all about. However, you really shouldn’t rely on just one layer of protection to keep your cabin’s wood frame dry. It might work, but you won’t know the walls are getting wet until it’s way to late to do anything about it easily. The hidden and devastating nature of water leaks is why I always use multiple layers of protection working together to keep moisture out of building frames. In a nutshell, here’s how the features come together:

1. Apply a waterproof, vapour-permeable fabric to the outside of the building.

2. Install plastic drainage pans at the bottom of window and door openings to catch and direct water that leaks past caulking.

3. Install windows and doors.

4. Apply dimpled plastic drainage membrane or non-woven drainage fabric in preparation for cedar shingles.

Some of these details go way beyond standard practice, so be sure to watch the next video for the fullest understanding.