Going w/ Just Tyvec for the winter??
We’re in the middle of building a house in Maine. Money is tight for the rest of this year, so, we wanted to just Tyvec the outside, put in the windows and doors, insulate (blown-in fiberglass), drywall (wood heat) and then do the siding next spring.
Is this a crazy idea? Do we risk losing the insulation and getting water damage?
Replies
You will be fine. I went for years with tyvek and tar paper. You may need to replace or put another layer on if it is deteriorated before you side but it will protect your house fine.
Faced this to a minor degree when residing our house a dozen years back.
Tape all the seams, and either use washer-head nails or tacked-on lath to hold the Tyvek in place to keep it from flapping in the wind. It'll last out the winter fine (as will the house), but should be replaced or covered with another layer before siding, since it will have lost a fair amount of its effectiveness.
Do keep an eye on it, of course, and quickly repair any area that should come loose. But this probably won't happen if it's not flapping too badly.
You do often see Tyvek being ripped off by the wind (usually on a large, low-budget apartment development), but that occurs because it's tacked up half-heartedly using nothing more than staples.
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Check with the TYVEK vendor as to maximum exposure time to UV light. You may want to use a competitor if they have longer exposure times recommended.
They spec something like 60 days, but that's conservative, and includes both sunlight degradation and wind/weather wear. But it should be replaced or doubled up after overwintering exposed.--------------
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All the post are right on--you'll be fine--just don't let it start shredding--and
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Mike
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I agree with the other guys.
The only thought I could add is that you need to make sure the housewrap is handled properly at the tops of the windows and doors. Otherwise you'll get leaks.
So if you don't mind, I'll use my whole hand.
We did the same thing, but used TYPAR, which is rated , IIRC, for longer exposure than TYVEK. I noticed no degrade after a winter and then sided the next summer.
Thank you all for your responses. I forgot to add that this house had gotten very wet (we're still getting the roof on!)The owner of the local lumber place this weekend told me that we should use Tar paper and not Tyvec (or the like) because mositure will get into the insulation with Tyvec/Typar. He said to use Ice and Water shield flashing around all windows and doors, calk them and then tar paper. His thought is that people THINK all is well when they use Tyvec/Typar but actually insulation is getting wet and will cause trouble in time with mold. We already have a lot of mold growing in the cellar which we've bleached and will use wood heat to dry out, but still, we're worried....Thanks!Susie
Properly applied, Tyvek will keep the water out. (Dunno about Typar -- it's not quite as waterproof, as I understand it.) Tyvek will also let the existing moisture out, which is something the tarpaper won't do as well.--------------
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The owner of your local lumber yard is not out to lunch on this; his suggestions are mostly pretty much on target.
There is, however, the fact that it will be more time consuming to apply the materials he's suggested than it would be to just wrap the place with an air-barrier like Tyvek or Typar. If you have the time and manpower, I'd do it the way he suggested. But: If you're really up against it and have to get the place wrapped before that first blizzard comes wailin' in to say 'Hello!', running around the place once with a 9' wide roll of housewrap can be a quicker solution than carefully shingling 30# felt around self-adhesive membrane used to flash openings.
In either case, I would suggest you try llike heck to get the strapping (furring) nailed on over the wrap before you quit on the outside for the winter. It will make a big difference how much wind damage your wrap will sustain between now and spring thaw.
Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.
his way of doing tarpaper will let more water in around windows than properly done Tyvek. I agree that if I were planning a whole winter, I would use Typarregardless which product, you should use the Vycor or other brand I&W around windows, but keep all lapps facing down to shed water
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I did the same thing a few winters back, and I stapled string both horizontally and vertically to the seams. It really helps prevent the wrap from coming loose in the wind.