Sealing Gaps in sheathing, remote location

Hey everyone!
I've recently taken over stewardship and building completion on a 1600 SQ ft, 2 story cabin in remote Alaska.
Thinking about all that needs to be done before the cold comes and need to deal with some draft issues.
The house is a raw shell with no siding yet and I need to get the gaps between the sheathing. Access to materials is limited, and while I have all the lumber I could ever want, even amazon struggles to deliver here, so buying tape would be an absolute "if I must", could take a month or even long to get here.
So what are your ideas? I was thinking along the lines of fibrous cord caulk made from cedar bark off of fallen trees, then using pine pitch. But that seems adventurous. So any ideas you all may have are very welcomed!

I usually run blocking at every joint; my intent is strength/racking resistance, but it would reduce drafts as well.

If I was skipping tape.. I might try packing the seams with something like your cedar bark/pitch mix, and depending on the siding plan perhaps I would run strapping on the outside over top, especially the vertical seams..

The siding will be reclaimed, corrugated roofing and definitely strapping for that on the verts. I like the idea of blocking, which would make the packing much easier. Thanks!

I'm thinking most natural sealing materials are likely to be moisture absorbant too (wool, moss...). Mike had maybe a similar situation on this thread here, which may give some ideas.

Why not use a board and batten system on the interior sheathing since wood is plentiful?

If I am picturing it correctly, I would install vertical furring strips on the exterior seam and then run your siding over that. It will help seal the sheet good seams and also provide an air gap behind the siding and sheathing which can be a beneficial path for moisture to escape and dry.

I also assume the vertical joints land on wall framing studs and would be inaccessible from the inside. However, if you have horizontal seams in the sheet goods, you could seal those from the inside with the same furring strip application. If you put horizontal strips on the outside you negate the benefit of an air gap in that area.

1600 sqft is a very large cabin but sounds like you have the lumber on hand. If the exterior sheathing has been exposed to the weather the ZIP tape would not adhere very well anyway and you'd need a liquid sealant from a caulking gun. I imagine that would be equally as hard to come by.

It also sounds like the gaps between sheathing are larger than what I normally deal with if your able to stuff fibrous material in there. What size are the gaps?

The interior is down the line. Plus a majority of the lumber I have is true 2x with little 1 or 3/4, except for what I'm using for exterior trim and strips.
Right now id like to focus on moisture and draft penetration and do my best to get it to 85%

I do have access to 100s of stacks of oak pallets, so that will most likely be the interior option, should I decide to dedicate 7 years of prying galvanized ring shank nails out of pallets! 🤣

Thanks, Nancy. Very informative post for sure.

Micheal James wrote:The interior is down the line. Plus a majority of the lumber I have is true 2x with little 1 or 3/4, except for what I'm using for exterior trim and strips.
Right now id like to focus on moisture and draft penetration and do my best to get it to 85%

I do have access to 100s of stacks of oak pallets, so that will most likely be the interior option, should I decide to dedicate 7 years of prying galvanized ring shank nails out of pallets! 🤣

Do you have a circular saw or tablesaw? Full 2" lumber is a lovely size to rip down into thinner battens; you can get quite a few 3/4" by 2" strips from a rough 2x6 or 2x8.. assuming the knots are not too big/frequent.


You could preserve the airflow aspect of the rainscreen siding, which I consider very important, by using thinner battens on the horizontal seams..

Yes, I'm a carpenter by trade. 😉
I already have 1500 liner ft of furring strips for the exterior projects. You had mentioned the interior and I was just saying that's on hold until I get the exterior and moisture issues dealt with.
Thanks for your reply!

My dad once spent most of a summer ripping 2x4s into 1"strips, then ripping those strips into wedge shaped strips  then hammering those wedges into the gaps between the logs of a very drafty, unfinished log house, then adding chinking to cover.  Might be a better air seal than  furring strips.

Can you focus on weather/draft proofing one room with your stove?