I need house wrap recommendations

[IXLR8]

My house was built in 1980, I have owned it for 4 years. I have discovered that there is NO moisture barrier (house wrap) under the clapboards!! I am getting ready to remove the all the clapboards (half are rotting anyway), upgrade the windows, replace the fibrous sheathing with plywood and I want to add some sort of house wrap to keep wind and water out, then cover with cement board siding. I have had recommendations of Typar, TyVek and good old tar paper. One contractor recommended Typar over the tarpaper. I am not getting any consistant answers from local contractors... what does the wisdom here have to say?

 

[framer]

We use Tyvek house wrap or similar product. House wrap must be able to breath as not to trap moister in home.Tar paper worked in older homes they
weren't as tightly built as today.I'm not a bib fan of the product. With the building methods as solid boxing pretty tight any way.In your case not knowing how well built not a bad idea.Good luck framer.

 

[Bird]

I see a lot of Tyvek down here in the south, even have some on my place, but I don't recall seeing any Typar. So I don't really know the differnce, but if you go to google.com and enter typar vs tyvek, you'll find plenty of reading.

 

[Lloyd_E]

For what it is worth.

I did over a 200 year old house and outbuildings - using tyvek and clapboard. Actually on the outbuildings I used tarpaper. After the reno's I read an article in Fine Hombuilding and This Old House; they found 20-30+ year old houses that used tyvek or 'new' house wrap(non tarpaper) with moisture and rot problems. They found the tyvek didn't breath like it should and caused the sheathing to rot.

I've taken down some old buildings that used tarpaper and found no rot on the boards. Boards were 'new' looking - very clean. Anything I build now I use tarpaper. Tyvek is too young to know what problems will occur in future years. Tarpaper has been around for along time - pre 1900's as compared with tyvek - 1960's.

If I was to do it again I would use tarpaper. Of course when I redid the exterior of our house the original builders nailed strips of birch bark over the adjoining boards to prevent air from moving through walls!

lloyd

PS: codes keep changing. Up here they use a new underlay for breathing under shingles, clapboards and wood roof shingles. The under lay is extremely expensive. So to get around it - and it passes code - they use sheets of wooden lattice nailed to sheathing prior to installing shakes, clapboards or shingles - go figure. Would like to see it in 20, 30, 40 years.

 

[EddieWalker]

I use Tyvek and I've also used Dupont, but they might be the same thing. I honestly can't tell the difference, but depending on who I buy it from, it says one or the other. If you got to the James Hardi website, they have recommendations on what to use and how to install their products. I'd go there and do just what they say to do. It's what I did.

They will give you a few options on nailing it. I like a roofing coil nailer with the longer nails. I want to say they are 1 3/4 of an inch, but would have to actually look at a box to know for sure. For the trim, I use my framing nail gun. Even then, I have to tap them flush with a hammer.

Eddie

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

hardie siding specifies tarpaper.
my sip supplier specified 9 perm tyvek 3 years ago - now their local builder is using tarpaper instead.

I would suggest due to the persistent moisture and long cold season in NE you would want 30 pound felt/paper between the OSB/plywood and the new siding.

 

[CurlyDave]

Look at the James Hardi website and look for yourself.

For the Western US they just recommend "housewrap", but do point out that they sell HardiWrap or some such.

Even though it may not be the biggest seller in the industry, I would use the Hardi product under HardiPlank or board, just because there is only one company to talk to if you ever have a problem.

 

[DIRTROAD]

My vote is for Tyvek housewrap, just because the last house I built I used it and the power bill is half of what my personal home is which has tar paper. Both are comparable size, insulation, basement, roof design, but for some reason the Tyvek house seems tighter and cheaper/easier to heat and cool. Just my $.02

 

[IXLR8]

Here is what I have found so far, Tyvek is made by Dupont, Typar is made by Fiberweb. Lots of discussions around the web on which is better and why, no clear winner. As I talk to more contractors in the area, mid-coast Maine, they lean to Typar as they feel it is a tougher better product for the area, especially close to the ocean where I am. Looking at new construction that is happening in the area, I am guessing 80% are using Typar. A few are going back to the felt tar paper due to moisture issues being reported with both Tyvek and Typar. I am not using the Hardi planks, I am using the Certainteed brand, they are not specific on recommendations to use.
CertainTeedFiber Cement Siding - Siding - CertainTeed ColorMax Prefinished
The one person I know that used the Hardi brand is not happy, I think it is a cost/value/looks thing, he was not real specfic. SWMBO can get the CertainTeed material at distributor cost where she works, which makes it half the cost of the Hardi product. Still digging for info, but I think I have narrowed it down to either the 30# tar paper or Typar. One high end contractor wraps the house with Typar, installs all the doors/windows, then covers it with the tarpaper!! I am still open to other options, but these 3 (Tyvek, Typar, Tar paper) seem to be the most used.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

The one person I know that used the Hardi brand is not happy, I think it is a cost/value/looks thing, he was not real specfic. SWMBO can get the CertainTeed material at distributor cost where she works, which makes it half the cost of the Hardi product. Still digging for info, but I think I have narrowed it down to either the 30# tar paper or Typar. One high end contractor wraps the house with Typar, installs all the doors/windows, then covers it with the tarpaper!! I am still open to other options, but these 3 (Tyvek, Typar, Tar paper) seem to be the most used.

we had looked at the certainteed product - but couldn't get the price break on it. Congrats!
We also did the tyvek under 30 pound felt - as the SIPS manufacturer specified tyvek to meet his warranty, and the instructions that came with the Hardiepanels we bought (4x9 sheets, not hardieplank) specified felt to meet theirs.

As to efficiency, we forst fired up the furnace in 2/08 with 85% in the propane tank, and I added 400 gallons about a month ago when the tank got down to 7%, so I figure roughly 350 gallons in 13 months for hot water, heat, and cooking isn't too bad for 1400 SF plus heated walkout basement.

 

[BungeeII]

Here are some excellent videos on the building envelope...

Code College Online Training

Housewrap videos are near the end.

 

[CharlieTR]

I remember reading the Tyvek web page section that talked about installation when building my house.
You may want to may want to look at it. It said to only install the wrap before the window installation, and use nails with plastic rings not staples.

 

[Pilot]

Our builder insisted on tar paper because of moisture concerns. Given your location, I would certainly be concerned about moisture.

Ignore what the builders are using--they don't see their homes 30 years later. They may use what they use because it may be either cheaper to buy or to install. In any case, the builders haven't any idea of how the house will hold up in regard to the moisture barrier. All they know is what the sales people say.

I suggest you talk to remodelers and see what they find. And if LP siding was a problem in your area, the folks who replace siding may have some good info also.

And is there any warranty? Remember LP siding? Because of the way LP treated it's customers when other outfits covered the total cost of siding replacement & LP covered just a fraction, I will never buy another LP product. It cost us $15,000 to re-side our house. What would it cost to fix a house with major structural rot?

 

[Diesel-ME]

My house was built in 1980, I have owned it for 4 years. I have discovered that there is NO moisture barrier (house wrap) under the clapboards!! I am getting ready to remove the all the clapboards (half are rotting anyway), upgrade the windows, replace the fibrous sheathing with plywood and I want to add some sort of house wrap to keep wind and water out, then cover with cement board siding. I have had recommendations of Typar, TyVek and good old tar paper. One contractor recommended Typar over the tarpaper. I am not getting any consistant answers from local contractors... what does the wisdom here have to say?

"local contractors", just like the rest of us will steer you away from what they don't know and have not used and steer you towards their comfort zone

Tyvek and Typar are both designed to allow vapor out while blocking larger water (rain) dropplets from coming in, while also blocking wind infiltration. Personally I'd use Tyvek and religeously tape ALL seems with the (expensive) Tyvek tape. Then apply the fiber cement siding to it.

Most of this sort of wrap also has lines 16" on center so if your house has studs every 16" then line up the wrap accordingly. Then be sure to nail the fiber cement into studs wherever possible - something to think about when butt joints are in the middle of an open space.

Also be SURE to caulk all butt joints and install in accordance with the manufacturer's spec. One thing about fiber cement is that it is impervious to moisture that may be coming out from the inside. Therefore it holds paint really well. But if your house does not have a decent vapor barrier then you may want to eventually re-do inside sheetrock over a new/tight vapor barrier.

My opinions are made with your location in mind BTW. In other parts of the country my recommendations may not apply...?....

~paul