Abstract: A universal and integrated water barrier system for exterior wood construction is provided. The system includes a universal waterproofing strip material that is adaptable for use in all of the various connection conditions encountered in exterior construction. The strip material is adaptable for use as a joist cap that is applied over the joist members for use between the joists and deck boards, a beam cap for doubled framing support members and a ledger cap that acts as a flashing protecting the gap between the ledger and adjacent structure as well as the ledger itself. Further, a stair stair stringer base is provided for use on the bottom of stair stair stringers to prevent the bottom the stair stringer from resting in contact with the earth. The system overcomes the disadvantages found in the prior art by providing an effective and simple method of excluding water from the critical structural connections within the construction system.