PDFWAC 51-51-0703

Section R703—Exterior covering.

R703.1.1 Water resistance. The exterior wall envelope shall be designed and constructed in a manner that prevents the accumulation of water within the wall assembly by providing a water-resistant barrier behind the exterior veneer as required by Section R703.2 and a means of draining water that enters the assembly to the exterior. Protection against condensation in the exterior wall assembly shall be provided in accordance with Section R702.7 of this code.
EXCEPTIONS:
1. A weather-resistant exterior wall envelope shall not be required over concrete or masonry walls designed in accordance with Chapter 6 and flashed according to Section R703.4 or R703.8.
 
2. Compliance with the requirements for a means of drainage, and the requirements of Sections R703.2 and R703.4, shall not be required for an exterior wall envelope that has been demonstrated to resist wind-driven rain through testing of the exterior wall envelope, including joints, penetrations and intersections with dissimilar materials, in accordance with ASTM E 331 under the following conditions:
 
2.1. Exterior wall envelope test assemblies shall include at least one opening, one control joint, one wall/eave interface and one wall sill. All tested openings and penetrations shall be representative of the intended end-use configuration.
 
2.2. Exterior wall envelope test assemblies shall be at least 4 feet (1219 mm) by 8 feet (2438 mm) in size.
 
2.3. Exterior wall assemblies shall be tested at a minimum differential pressure of 6.24 pounds per square foot (299Pa).
 
2.4. Exterior wall envelope assemblies shall be subjected to a minimum test exposure duration of 2 hours.
 
3. The requirement for a means of drainage shall not be construed to mean an air space cavity under the exterior cladding for an exterior wall clad with panel or lapped siding made of plywood, engineered wood, hardboard, or fiber cement. A water-resistive barrier as required by Section R703.2 will be required on exterior walls.
The exterior wall envelope design shall be considered to resist wind-driven rain where the results of testing indicate that water did not penetrate control joints in the exterior wall envelope; joints at the perimeter of opening penetration; or intersections of terminations with dissimilar materials.
R703.10.2 Lap siding. Fiber-cement lap siding having a maximum width of 12 inches (305 mm) shall comply with the requirements of ASTM C 1186, Type A, minimum Grade II or ISO 8336, Category A, minimum Class 2. Lap siding shall be lapped a minimum of 1 1/4 inches (32 mm) and lap siding shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions or shall be designed to comply with Section R703.1. Lap siding courses shall be installed with the fastener heads exposed or concealed, in accordance with Table R703.3(1) or approved manufacturer's instructions.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074. WSR 23-02-058, 23-12-104, and 23-20-024, § 51-51-0703, filed 1/3/23, 6/7/23, and 9/25/23, effective 3/15/24; WSR 20-21-041, § 51-51-0703, filed 10/13/20, effective 11/13/20; WSR 20-03-023, § 51-51-0703, filed 1/6/20, effective 7/1/20; WSR 16-03-025, § 51-51-0703, filed 1/11/16, effective 7/1/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 13-04-068, § 51-51-0703, filed 2/1/13, effective 7/1/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074. WSR 10-03-098, § 51-51-0703, filed 1/20/10, effective 7/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.190, 19.27.020, and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 08-01-102, § 51-51-0703, filed 12/18/07, effective 4/1/08.]