This is also one reason why you may wish to consider bumping your sheathing up past code minimums going with a thicker panel.
For inspection do you have to have plywood sheathing siding.
If the flatness of sheathing or flooring panels is acceptable apa would generally recommend that any finish flooring siding or roofing be installed as planned regardless of whether gaps are present.
The siding is in need of repair and repainting so we thought this is a good opportunity to just replace the existing siding with new fiber cement siding.
If the panel is 1 2 inch and its grade type is m 2 then determine if the maximum stud spacing is 16 o c.
Question is can the siding be the sheathing as well.
However plywood may have weak spots which can cause core voids in the panels.
Then determine that siding is nailed to the studs.
Oriented strand board osb is a durable panel sheathing made from hundreds of thin wood strands that are hot pressed onto sheets with a wax and resin adhesive.
Plywood has good moisture resistance and dries fast.
And either way you should use a barrier like tarpaper or tyvek underneath it.
Siding jobs do leak so when the water resistive barrier leaks water can get into the wall and lead to mold and rot.
Myself i would not consider using the siding without sheathing but that s your decision.
For siding nailed to the studs or sheathing.
Gaps that were initially present may have closed due to normal moisture related expansion.
I am thinking i should use t111 siding.
Plywood is about 15 to 19 percent lighter than osb.
If the panels are horizontal then determine if the end joints are offset such that four corners do not meet.
If you have back to back walls with an air space in between you need a full height draft stop between the walls at 10 feet on center.
At minimum i prefer a sheet for 16 oc framing while others i know will go no less than 5 8 or.
Often the leak can go on for many years inside the wall before anyone notices.
And by the time it is discovered the damage can be extensive.
They are each right in a way.
I have a customer that wants to do board and batton siding for his lakehouse.
When a drop ceiling intersects a wall a row of fire blocks.
All of my houses have been lap siding or brick and i have always used osb sheathing then housewrap.