Breaking Down Our Walls
By Steve Bielinski, COO
A wall is a wall is a wall… or is it? You might think building a wall is pretty simple, but we at Bielinski Homes put a lot of thought into making the best walls we can. Here are some examples of wall techniques and how we do it here at Bielinski Homes.
HOW THEY MIGHT DO IT
There are a number of wall system practices approved by the Uniform Dwelling Code, meaning different builders build differently. Here are a few of the most commons ways other builders build their walls.
You might see 2x4 exterior walls with studs spaced at 16” on center and a 1” polystyrene foam on the exterior. This wall is an approved method of wall construction, but we feel this wall lacks the strength and rigidity of our wall system. Plus the thickness leaves less room for insulation making it less energy efficient.
You might also see claims from other builders stating that their walls are 2x6 constructed, however, they may construct the wall’s studs at wider spacings, such as at 19.2” or 24” on center. This wider spacing of wall studs can lead to issues like loose fitting drywall or poor cabinet installation due to the reduction of wall studs. These different techniques work fine, but they leave a lot to be desired.
HOW WE DO IT
So, here’s the technique that we use on every single Bielinski home. A solid 2x6 exterior wall with each wall stud spaced at 16” on center along with oriented strand board (OSB) applied to the exterior. Each exterior wall is then wrapped with Tyvek® exterior home wrap to assist in preventing air filtration. This combination is strong, rigid, and proven to perform better than other exterior wall systems. This 2x6 system also provides a deep 5.5” wall cavity for us to pack high-density R-21 batt insulation into.
Other 2x6 systems often use less-effective R-19 batt insulation, and 2x4 systems only allow for a 3.5” wall cavity and a less effective R-13 batt insulation. These systems may be cheaper but you’ll pay for it during your first Wisconsin winter and every thereafter.
Our wall system, like every aspect of our building process, is what we’ve found to be best for the customer in our 60 years of building Wisconsin homes. If you’re looking to build a new home with a builder who thinks about what’s best for you, contact a Bielinski New Home Consultant here.