Do you need to tape seams in Tyvec?
RogerD
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
Hello,
Does code requrire (or is it a good idea) to tape the seams in tyvec house wrap? My thinking is that it’s not needed if there is a good overlap of about 6 inches.
Thanks,
Roger <><
Replies
Tuck (Red) tape usually always required for inspection.
"If 'tis to be,'twil be done by me."
Depends on where your from becasue I've never used it or seen anyone use it before.
Joe Carola
Edited 8/12/2005 12:20 pm ET by Framer
I did my house, probably spent $300 in tape. Its way too expensive.
I tape the seams. I also tape the window flashing
In MA, the only ones I see using it are home owners. No inspectors require it that I know of.
Not required in the 02 IRC, that can find.
I did tape the few seams I had on the wrap for my shop, and yes the Tyvek tape is way over priced. I think the higher end 3M clear packing tape is the same thing and less the 1/2 the price.
Tyvek is supposed to be an air infiltration barrier, and their instructions recommend taping the seams. I may be a little anal, but if you are trying to build a tight envelope, way leave anything to chance.
Tape it, and feel secure that, that is one item that is not costing you future energy $.
Dave
whaddaya mean expensive? i started chatting with a tyvek sales rep on a sunday afternoon at a home show awhile back and he gave, yes, gave, me a big box of 25'(?) sample rolls so he wouldn't have to schlep it all back. i probably have 30 rolls left.
m
I think it's worthwhile. A practical reason is that it keeps seams from flapping in the wind before the siding is put on. But from an infiltration standpoint every little bit helps.
If this is retrofit (doors/windows already installed) then even more important is taping around openings -- actually taping to the brick mold or whatever around the windows This is tedious but can make a BIG difference. For new work this is generally unnecessary (assuming you caulk around the openings, etc), but taping any areas where you don't get a good seal otherwise is a good idea.
PS: Don't use "duct tape". It will dry out and fall off after about 3 years and your effort will be wasted. Use either red "contractor's sheathing tape" or the white Tyvek tape.
We tape all the seams because here house wrap usually is the siding for a year or so till people get the $ for real siding.But tyveck has the shortest life span exposed i believe.
The whole reason for using a house wrap like Tyvek is to stop air infiltration and serve as a secondary barrier to water infiltration. Believe it or not, air infiltrates sheathing and any little gap, due in part to pressures created by the temperature difference from inside to outside. If you don't do the wrap correctly you might as well save yourself the money for it in the first place. Very few builders use Tyvek in my area because it is susceptible to UV degradation. Typar is the choice because it has UV inhibitors or so we've been led to believe. I've been using the red Tyvek tape, mostly because I have a bunch of it. It comes in a 1.9"x54.7yrd roll. One roll goes a long way. The adhesive is superior to other tapes and is made to stick to the wrap. Duct tape, packaging tape and others will fail in a short time. I don't like the white tape as well as the red but I could be wrong for using on Typar instead of Tyvek.
House wraps are often just used as a wall covering. They are intended to be one piece of a more complex envelope package. This includes insulation, vapor barriers, gaskets, flashing, caulking and ventilation. The way some of these other parts are done on many houses, the Tyvek is just decoration and may contribute to future problems. If the system is to work as intended, the wrap and flashings need to be integrated properly. I've seen patches of wrap with the top edge overlapped instead of underlapped. Bituthane flashings behind window flanges instead of on top. These are called reverse layering. Because our houses are much tighter than in the past, any water that gets in may not dry and can be trapped by reverse layering. You often see membrane flashings that are applied on top of the wrap instead of slitting the wrap so it overlays the top of the membrane. The same is true of metal flashings. One of the problems with the wraps is that they do repel liquid water. If there is a case of reverse layering, the wrap can help to channel the water to areas and cause rotting.
It takes some extra work and attention to detail to layer everything correctly. Some areas and exposures are more prone to failure than others. Some materials, such as vinyl siding are more apt to let in water. Caulking that is left off or not maintained is another area that will allow water to get in. there are more important issues with using wraps than just using the correct tape.
I don't know of any code that specifies using a house wrap, with or without tape. The inspectors in my area are more focused on electrical and plumbing. They may spot an egregious structural problem but most don't even see flashing details. This may vary in different jurisdictions.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match