You guys have been of tremendous help with me doing my house. As you probably know I’ve posted questions about tar paper and vapor barriers. I started with a layer of tar paper to protect the plywood and as I’ve been siding, I’ve added a fresh second layer which you guys explained was no problem since tar paper is not a vapor barrier. When I put the tar paper on and reached an inside corner, I turned the corners and extended about a foot and then did the same thing when I came back in the opposite direction. This means that the inside corners have 4 to 6 layers of tar paper when all is said and done. Now my question. Are this many layers a problem as far as trapping moisture? Not understanding vapor barriers and moisture movement is my basic problem here. Thanks.
On a side note and not applicable to my house at all, I was driving around and saw a house under renovation. On the walls, they didn’t use tar paper or tyvek. Instead they put that black self stick granulated stuff that comes in rolls for roofing underlayment. I got to wondering if that would be a problem as far as trapping moisture. Again, I’m not using it and I’ve never seen it on the walls of a house so I was just curious.
Richie
Replies
I don't see any problem as moisture goes. However, that thick of a build up may make it difficult when trimming the corners. What are you doing for the exterior?
The roofing material on the outside of the house you saw seems curious. Maybe they had a bunch of extra and figured it would work just as well?
~ Ted W ~
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The tar paper is covered by 3/8 foam then vinyl. One area is getting veneer stone which will abutt the vinyl (still trying to figure a clean transition at those inside corners where the stone meets the vinyl). Also, after the foam goes on, I bend a 12 inch wide piece of aluminum in half (2 6" sides) the length of the corner and nail it on before the corner posts or j channel to really seal the corner from wind driven rain. I got this idea from the certainteed vinyl siding book. Thanks for the reply.
Edited 4/3/2009 10:24 pm ET by Richie921
As far as tarpaper is concerned, I think you'll be fine but it might be physically thick. As far as the ice and water type stuff, yeah, I've seen it done around here on the whole exterior of some houses right on ther ocean but I'd be concerned over the moisture issue.