The mountains in northern Georgia could give a homeowner unmatched privacy and spectacular views overlooking the national forest. But the wild landscape doesn’t make for the easiest of construction sites. Emmy Award-winning host, designer, and executive producer Chip Wade experienced that firsthand as he started planning his modern custom home near the Pinhoti Trail at a 3,000-foot elevation. *
Challenging Mountain Weather
Due to the temperamental weather conditions, Wade’s Pinhoti Peak residence would need to withstand severe weather changes, including high winds, snow and heavy rain. As an industry pro, Wade knew better than to use cheap, inferior materials. Instead, he needed dependable building products that would stand strong in any weather, starting with a WRB/AB that would help protect the custom home during construction and beyond.
Designing a Durable Building Envelope
As project architect, general contractor and homeowner, Wade had full control over which products to specify. Being of great personal importance and in a difficult climate meant this house needed more than traditional house wrap and roof underlayment.
First, it needed a WRB/AB system that would provide a better building envelope without compromising its modern design. The solution was DensElement® Barrier System with DensDefy® Liquid Flashing for the walls. These products would help protect the home from wind-driven rain and uncontrolled air movement.
For the home’s sloped roofs, Wade specified ForceField® Weather Barrier System, an integrated WRB/AB structural roof sheathing system and underlayment. Its application started with ForceField® Panels, and then ForceField® Premium Tape was used to treat the seams to help protect against rainfall and dry-in the structure faster.
Benefits Across Both Systems
The two systems are easy to install and feature innovative technology that helps keep the weather outside and create a tight building envelope that increases the energy efficiency of the home. Plus, there’s the added benefit of continuity between all Georgia-Pacific products, so Wade was able to use one set of building products from the same manufacturer with both systems covered by a limited warranty.
Beyond the design and construction advantages of using our two high-performance WRB/AB systems, Wade and his team were impressed by how responsive our technical team was throughout the entire process, providing hands-on support from product specification during the design phase to in-field installation and completion of the project.
Using two dependable WRB/AB sheathing systems backed by a trusted brand, Wade is confident Pinhoti Peak will stand the test of time and that his custom home and his family will be protected against the mountain elements for years to come.
Watch the full video to learn more about the project specifics of Pinhoti Peak, what products were used and our sponsored partnership with Chip Wade.
*Chip Wade is a proud partner of Georgia-Pacific Building Products. ForceField Weather Barrier System and DensElement Barrier
System materials were donated by Georgia-Pacific to support his Pinhoti Peak project.
