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Glass-mat sheathing • Decatur, GA

DensGlass Sheathing Replacement in Decatur

When water has been getting behind the stucco or EIFS on a Decatur apartment, condo or office building, the sheathing is usually what gives out first. We open the wall, replace damaged board with glass-mat gypsum and rebuild the weather barrier and cladding over it.

  • Wet sheathing removed
  • Glass-mat board installed
  • New barrier & flashing
  • Finish matched to facade
Call (678) 806-7664How the repair works

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Decatur commercial stucco & EIFS. Property managers, boards, owners & builders.

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Behind the facade

Soft walls mean wet board behind them

Behind most commercial stucco and EIFS is a layer of sheathing the cladding depends on. Paper-faced gypsum and wood sheathing lose strength once they stay wet, and on many Decatur buildings, wood-framed apartments and condominiums especially, that is exactly what has happened under failed window sealant, missing kick-out flashing or a leaking balcony. From outside, it shows as soft EIFS, cracks that keep coming back or stucco pulling away from the wall.

We map the damage with moisture readings and probes, then open the wall only as far as the wet board goes. Damaged sheathing comes out and the framing behind it is checked; where rot or termite damage has reached it, that is documented and repaired before we close in. New glass-mat gypsum board goes up, the weather barrier is lapped into the surrounding wall and flashing is corrected at the source of the leak.

Then we rebuild the cladding and match the finish. Pairing sheathing work with sealant replacement elsewhere on the building is often the best use of the same lift or scaffold.

Exterior wall opened with new glass-mat sheathing installed behind the cladding
1999rebuilding Georgia walls
What we rebuild

Sheathing & substrate repairs in Decatur

The facade only tells you there is a problem. These are the layers we rebuild once a wall is open.

Water-damaged sheathing

Swollen OSB, delaminated plywood and softened gypsum board cut back to sound material and replaced with glass-mat board.

Moisture readings guide the cut

Weather-resistive barrier

New barrier lapped over the sheathing and tied into the existing barrier at every edge of the repair.

Every lap sheds water down

Window & storefront openings

Sill pans and jamb flashing integrated with the barrier so water that reaches an opening drains out.

Where most damage starts

Parapets & roof-to-wall joints

Flashing corrected where a roof, balcony or breezeway meets the wall, a common source of wet sheathing.

Coordinated with the roofer

Termite-damaged substrate

Sheathing and trim damaged by termites replaced, and cladding that runs below grade corrected.

Treatment stays with pest control

Framing documented

Corroded steel studs or decayed wood framing are photographed and referred to the owner’s engineer before the wall is closed.

Engineer decides structure
Choosing the board

Why glass-mat board goes back in

Putting new OSB or paper-faced gypsum back behind the cladding puts the same vulnerable material in the same spot on a wall that has already shown it can get wet. Glass-mat gypsum sheathing has fiberglass facings in place of paper and a moisture-resistant core, so a wet spell does not break it down or feed mold the way wood and paper can.

It is not waterproof on its own. The weather barrier, flashing and sealant joints are still what keep water out, and every replacement we do includes them. Where the sheathing is part of a building’s structural design, or where we find damaged studs, tracks or framing, the owner’s engineer specifies that repair and we rebuild the wall to it. You see photos of the open wall before anything is closed.

Sheathing behind stucco & EIFS
BoardWhen it stays wetOur approach
OSBCommon on older wood frameSwells and loses strengthCut out and replaced
PlywoodDelaminates over timeReplaced or per engineer
Paper-faced gypsumFacing and core break downReplaced with glass-mat
Glass-mat gypsumDensGlass-type boardResists rot and moldInstalled at the repair
Barrier & flashingOver any boardSheds water to the weepsRebuilt every time
Our process

How a sheathing replacement runs on site

The wall is open for as short a time as possible and protected at the end of every day, with the work phased around tenants and residents.

Survey & map

We take moisture readings across the elevation to find the edges of the wet area and the leak source before any cladding comes off.

  • Readings mapped on photos
  • Leak source identified
  • Itemized written scope

Open & replace

Cladding is removed over the damaged area, wet sheathing is cut back to sound material, and glass-mat board is installed.

  • Daily weather protection
  • Framing issues documented
  • Changes approved first

Barrier, flash & finish

New barrier and flashing are lapped into the existing wall, then the stucco or EIFS is rebuilt and color matched.

  • Barrier lapped correctly
  • Flashing at every opening
  • Color & texture matched

Soft or bulging areas on your facade?

The longer sheathing stays wet, the more of the wall it takes with it. A moisture survey shows how far it has gone.

Request a site walk
Related services

Usually part of the same project

Sheathing does not get wet on its own. These services find the leak and close the wall back up properly.

Envelope Inspections
Diagnostics

Envelope Inspections

Moisture surveys, water testing and written condition reports for owners, boards, lenders and buyers.

Learn more
EIFS & Dryvit Restoration
EIFS / Dryvit

EIFS & Dryvit Restoration

Repair and restoration of EIFS and Dryvit facades, including recoats, joint replacement and drainable conversions.

Learn more
Condominiums & HOAs
Condo / HOA

Condominiums & HOAs

Reserve-study repairs, balconies, sealants and full-building recoats for condominium associations.

Learn more
Occupied multifamily

Sheathing repair with residents in place

Much of Decatur's newer multifamily is wood frame over a concrete podium, and sheathing work happens with people living a few inches from the wall.

We open walls one section at a time and protect each opening from weather until it is closed in, so units stay dry. Property managers get a schedule by stack or elevation to share with residents, and interior access is requested only when an inspection or repair needs it.

Balcony & window stacks

Damage often runs vertically under failed balcony and window details, so we work stack by stack.

Termite-damaged substrate

Wet sheathing and framing near grade are documented so damage can be repaired and the area treated.

Unit-by-unit schedule

Resident notices and access windows planned with management ahead of each phase.

  • Downtown Decatur
  • East Lake
  • Avondale Estates
  • North Decatur
  • Druid Hills
  • Emory area
  • Scottdale
  • Clarkston
  • Tucker
  • Belvedere Park
Questions & answers

Sheathing replacement FAQ for Decatur buildings

What Decatur owners, boards and managers ask when wet sheathing turns up.

Does sheathing replacement need a building permit in Decatur?
Work that opens the wall and replaces substrate or framing often does. Check with the City of Decatur if the property is inside city limits, or DeKalb County if it is not, before work begins; we provide the scope and details they need.
Our Decatur apartment building is fully leased. Can residents stay during the work?
Yes. We work from the exterior, one section at a time, and protect each opening until it is closed in. Interior access is needed only where damage reaches inside finishes or framing, and we coordinate those visits with management.
What is DensGlass, and is it the same as denglass?
DensGlass is a brand of glass-mat gypsum sheathing, and denglass is a common misspelling. Glass-mat board resists moisture and mold better than paper-faced gypsum, which is why it is the standard behind commercial stucco and EIFS.
How do we know if the sheathing behind our facade is damaged?
Moisture readings and probes at the details where water enters, such as windows, balconies and joints, show where the board is wet. Soft EIFS, recurring cracks and interior leaks are common outside signs.
Do you have to remove the cladding from the whole building?
Usually not. We open only the areas where readings show damage and tie the repair into the sound wall around it. Widespread damage can make a full re-clad the better value, and we will say so if that is the case.
How is sheathing replacement priced?
By the area of wall opened, the condition of the framing behind it, the cladding being rebuilt and access. Because hidden damage can extend beyond the readings, we explain in the written quote how any additional area would be priced.

Find and fix wet sheathing in Decatur

Tell us what the building is showing. We will map the moisture and write a scope that replaces only what is damaged.

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