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DensGlass Sheathing Replacement in Dunwoody
When water has been getting behind stucco or EIFS on a Dunwoody building for years, the sheathing is usually where the damage is. We open the wall, replace wet substrate with glass-mat gypsum board, repair framing as needed and rebuild the cladding.
- Wet sheathing removed
- Glass-mat board installed
- New barrier & flashing
- Finish matched to facade
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Dunwoody commercial stucco & EIFS. Property managers, boards, owners & builders.
The damage is behind the wall
Mid-rise offices, hotels and multifamily buildings in Dunwoody often have gypsum sheathing behind their stucco or EIFS. Older buildings may have paper-faced gypsum, which loses strength fast when wet; newer ones usually have glass-mat products such as DensGlass. Either can be damaged by years of slow leaks at window perimeters, parapets and joints.
From the outside, the signs are subtle: EIFS that flexes when pressed, cracking along board joints, staining below windows or a wall that sounds different when tapped. Inside, tenants and residents may notice musty odors, stained drywall or recurring leaks that repairs have not fixed.
We start with moisture readings to map where the sheathing is wet, and open test areas to confirm what we find. The cladding is then removed only in damaged areas, the wet sheathing is cut back to dry material, and any damaged framing is reported and repaired. New glass-mat gypsum sheathing is installed, a weather barrier is lapped into the surrounding wall and into window flashing, and the stucco or EIFS is rebuilt and finished to match. Correcting the original leak path, usually a sealant or flashing detail, is part of every scope.
Sheathing & substrate repairs in Dunwoody
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.
Weather-resistive barrier
New barrier lapped over the sheathing and tied into the existing barrier at every edge of the repair.
Window & storefront openings
Sill pans and jamb flashing integrated with the barrier so water that reaches an opening drains out.
Parapets & roof-to-wall joints
Flashing corrected where a roof, balcony or breezeway meets the wall, a common source of wet sheathing.
Termite-damaged substrate
Sheathing and trim damaged by termites replaced, and cladding that runs below grade corrected.
Framing documented
Corroded steel studs or decayed wood framing are photographed and referred to the owner’s engineer before the wall is closed.
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.
| Board | When it stays wet | Our approach |
|---|---|---|
| OSBCommon on older wood frame | Swells and loses strength | Cut out and replaced |
| Plywood | Delaminates over time | Replaced or per engineer |
| Paper-faced gypsum | Facing and core break down | Replaced with glass-mat |
| Glass-mat gypsumDensGlass-type board | Resists rot and mold | Installed at the repair |
| Barrier & flashingOver any board | Sheds water to the weeps | Rebuilt every time |
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.
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
Moisture surveys, water testing and written condition reports for owners, boards, lenders and buyers.
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EIFS & Dryvit Restoration
Repair and restoration of EIFS and Dryvit facades, including recoats, joint replacement and drainable conversions.
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Condominiums & HOAs
Reserve-study repairs, balconies, sealants and full-building recoats for condominium associations.
Learn moreOccupied buildings, open walls
Replacing sheathing means opening the wall of a building people are using. We plan for that first.
In Dunwoody, sheathing replacement usually happens on buildings that stay open: offices with tenants working behind the wall, hotels with guests, and apartment and condo buildings with residents in their units. We open only what can be closed the same day or protected overnight, keep the interior weathertight, and coordinate with property managers on noise, dust and access to units or suites when interior inspection is needed.
Offices & hotels
Sheathing replacement on mid-rise buildings, phased so guests and tenants are not disturbed.
Multifamily buildings
Wet substrate at balconies, breezeways and windows replaced unit stack by unit stack.
Framing & termite damage
Damaged studs and plates found behind the sheathing reported and repaired before the wall is closed.
- Dunwoody
- Perimeter Center
- Peachtree-Dunwoody corridor
- Georgetown
- Dunwoody Village
- Sandy Springs
- Brookhaven
- Chamblee
- Doraville
- Tucker
Sheathing questions from Dunwoody properties
What Dunwoody owners, managers and boards ask when sheathing damage is suspected.
What is DensGlass, and is it the same as denglass?
How do we know if the sheathing on our Dunwoody building is damaged?
Can the building stay occupied during sheathing replacement?
Does sheathing replacement in Dunwoody need a permit?
What if the framing is damaged too?
How is sheathing replacement priced?
Find out what is behind your facade
Tell us what you are seeing. We will survey the wall, map the wet areas and send a written scope for your Dunwoody building.