Housewrap installation procedure:
This article provides details on proper installation of air and water barrier housewraps on buildings.
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This article series discusses best practices construction details for building exteriors, including water and air barriers, building flashing products & installation, wood siding material choices & installation, vinyl siding, stucco exteriors, building trim, exterior caulks and sealants, exterior building adhesives, and choices and application of exterior finishes on buildings: paints, stains.
Adapted/paraphrased with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) . Steven Bliss.
The primary goal of a sheathing wrap is to protect a building’s structural components from water. At the same time, the sheathing wrap must be permeable enough to allow drying to the building’s exterior if the framing or sheathing should get wet.
While the permeance and water resistance ratings of sheathing wraps vary significantly, how they are installed is far more important than the specific product used. The key is to always lap the sheathing wrap to shed water and to properly integrate the wrap with flashings so water is directed on top of the layer below.
All sheathing wraps fall into three basic types: asphalt felt, Grade D building paper, and synthetic housewrap.
Grade D building paper is used primarily under stucco in the western United States and is essentially a lighter weight version of asphalt felt.
Comparing one material to another is difficult since there is no single standard for all products, and even where manufacturers follow the same test standard, test conditions may vary dramatically from one company to the next.
Also see HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
and VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING for more details.
The1920's home shown in our photo was covered with No. 15 felt paper during the construction of the addition ca 1980 - a usage that was common practice but one that would not comply with current building codes.
The 2003 International Building Code calls for a “water resistive barrier behind the exterior veneer” consisting of flashings and a “weather-resistant sheathing paper” lapped at least 2 inches horizontally and 6 inches vertically.
It specifies asphalt-saturated felt that weighs at least 14 pounds per square and complies with ASTM D226, which means that most un rated No. 15 felt paper sold at lumberyards (which weigh closer to 7 pounds per square) do not comply.
Nearly all the plastic housewraps have been submitted to the model code authorities and accepted as substitutes for ASTM rated No. 15 building paper. If building in an area that follows the Model Energy Code (MEC), builders must either install a “vapor-permeable housewrap” on the exterior or seal all the penetrations in the building by using some combination of polyethylene, caulks, and gaskets on the interior.
The primary function of the sheathing wrap, whether building felt or plastic housewrap, is to protect against water leakage. It is critical, therefore, to cover the entire shell from roof to foundation, including gable ends and band joists, and always to lap upper layers over lower layers to shed water. It is also critical to integrate the sheathing wrap with all window, door, and other wall flashings if the weather barrier is to be successful.
The IRC requires asphalt felt to be minimum 14 pounds per square (ASTM D226), overlapped a minimum of 6 inches at vertical joints and 2 inches at horizontal laps. Plastic-housewrap manufacturers recommend 6 to 12 inches of overlap at vertical seams and 4 inches at horizontal laps, with all joints taped.
It is good practice to wrap corners at least 6 inches each way. If the walls are sheathed and wrapped before being raised, leave a 6- to 12-inch overlap at one side of each corner, and leave a 12-inch, unstapled flap at the bottom to cover the band joist area after the sheathing is nailed off. Wide staples with a minimum 1-inch crown are recommended every 12 to 18 inches for plastic housewraps.
Definition of Permeance: Permeance ratings measure the rate at which water vapor passes through a material.
One perm equals one grain of water vapor passing through one square foot of material per hour per inch of vapor-pressure difference.
Under ASTM standard E96, manufacturers can use either test A (dry cup) or test B (wet cup), which yield somewhat different results. Grade D building paper uses yet another standard for measuring permeance, which is roughly equivalent to a permeance rating of about 5, similar to asphalt felt materials.
Plastic housewraps range in permeance from around 5 to over 50.
In general, a sheathing wrap should have a permeance of at least 5 to enable wall assemblies to dry out should they get wet. Since common sheathing products like plywood and oriented-strand board (OSB) have permeance ratings of less than one, the sheathing is more likely to interfere with drying than the sheathing wrap.
Our housewrap photo (above) demonstrates that workmanship and installation details are important for the proper function of building sheathing wraps, including proper direction of lapping of sections of material, detailing at wall penetrations, and even inconsistent application or downright omissions where the material is just forgotten during installation.
Our photo at left illustrates that if housewrap is not properly installed, its resistance to water penetration is a moot question.
at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT DEFECTS we explain that if the upper edge of a lower course or section of housewrap is lapped over rather than under the higher course, water leaking behind the siding will find its way behind the housewrap, increasing chances of water entering the building wall cavity itself.
Water inside a building wall cavity means wet insulation, higher heating and cooling bills, mold contamination risks, and risk of wood structure attack by carpenter ants, termites, and wood-rotting fungi.
Several different tests are used to measure the ability of building papers to stop liquid water.
Grade D building papers must have a 10-minute rating under ASTM D779, commonly called the “boat test,” in which a piece of building paper is folded in the shape of a boat and floated in a dish of water until it soaks through and wets a powder on top. Some Grade D papers are rated as high as 60 minutes.
In general, products with very high vapor permeability, such as DuPont’s Tyvek®, do poorly in the boat test since water vapor can pass through and wet the indicator powder.
However, Tyvek® and other non perforated plastic housewraps perform well in the alternate “hydro-head” test in which the material is placed under a 22-inch column of water and must not leak for five hours. More importantly, non perforated plastic housewraps generally do a very good job of shedding liquid water in the field.
Many sheathing wrap suppliers tout their products’ ability to block air infiltration, often citing proprietary test results. Some follow ASTM E283, in which an 8-foot-square wall section is tested before and after installation of the sheathing wrap. However, since the manufacturer is free to specify the type of wall assembly, one test is not comparable to another, and none simulates real job-site conditions with seams and holes in the sheathing wrap.
If a house already has a reasonably tight wall assembly, there is little evidence that a layer of housewrap will significantly tighten the building. In general, air-sealing efforts are better spent on the building’s interior, using caulks and gaskets or a continuous polyethylene air/vapor barrier.
Installed carefully, any of the sheathing wraps can perform well and keep water out of walls. The three main choices are traditional asphalt felt, Grade D building paper, and the newer plastic housewraps.
The optimal product will depend upon the siding choice, building details, and climate. With any sheathing wrap material, however, the key to good performance is to carefully lap the material to shed water.
This job has been made easier by the introduction of a number of peel-and-stick membranes for use around windows, doors, and other trouble spots. General performance characteristics of sheathing wraps are summarized in Table 1-1 below.
The old standby, asphalt felt, has a perm rating of around 5 and moderately good water resistance, making it suitable for use as a sheathing wrap. However, unlike plastic housewraps, asphalt felt will absorb water when wet.
Once wet, its permeability jumps from around 5 to as high as 60. In the event of water leaking into the wall, asphalt felt may help store some of the water, and its high permeability when wet will promote drying to the exterior. Housewrap, in contrast, tends to trap any liquid water that gets behind it.
Some contractors find felt easier to install and weave into flashings because of its rigidity and narrow roll width. Felt, however, tends to get brittle and deteriorate under long-term exposure to UV radiation [not that there is much UV radiation exposure of felt when it is located underneath building siding-DF] and is more prone to tear during installation than plastic housewraps. For situations where prolonged exposure is expected, plastic housewraps are better suited. Otherwise, asphalt building felt remains a valid choice for modern homes.
Although traditional 15-pound rag felt weighed 15 pounds per 100 square feet, the material sold today as No. 15 felt is made of recycled cardboard and sawdust and actually weighs only 7 to 8 pounds per square.
Most of the lightweight building paper sold has no ASTM rating. ASTM-rated No. 15 felt is either a minimum of 7.6 pounds per square (ASTM D4689) or 11.5 pounds per square (ASTM D226). Similarly, the unrated variety of No. 30 felt typically weighs only 15 to 20 pounds per square versus 26 to 27 pounds for rated Type 2 felt (ASTM D226).
Grade D building paper is an asphalt-impregnated kraft-type paper, similar to the backing on fiberglass insulation. Unlike asphalt felt, it is made from new wood pulp, rather than recycled material. Its most common use is under stucco in the western United States.
The vapor permeance of Grade D paper is similar to asphalt felt. Its liquid water resistance ratings range from 20 to 60 minutes, as measured by using the boat test
(see Water Resistance in "WATER RESISTIVE BARRIERS ON BUILDING EXTERIOR WALLS").
Because Grade D paper tends to deteriorate under prolonged wetting, the trend in three-coat stucco is to use two layers of 30-minute paper. Because the paper tends to wrinkle, the two layers tend to form a small air space, creating a rain-screen effect.
There are a wide range of plastic housewraps on the market. Most are non woven fabrics made from either polyethylene or polypropylene. Some have perforations to let water vapor pass through and the others are designed to let water vapor diffuse through the fabric itself. Because there is no single testing standard for plastic housewrap performance, it is difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons. However, published performance data and limited field studies suggest the following:
In the last few years, manufacturers have responded to the need for an air space and drainage plane with a variety of housewrap products that are either wrinkled or corrugated to provide an integrated air space. These include products intended primarily for stucco, such as DuPont’s StuccoWrap®, and others developed for siding, such as Raindrop Housewrap, which is a plastic drainage mat from Pactiv, Inc.
The air space created by these products is minimal, ranging from 0.02 inch thick for StuccoWrap to 0.008 for RainDrop®. Although these materials may allow for some drainage, it is unlikely that they will provide any measurable airflow to promote drying.
A more promising approach is a 1/4-inch nylon matrix, called HomeSlicker®, which has vertical drainage channels and installs between the sheathing wrap and siding. The material is rigid and thick enough to resist compression by the siding but thin enough that windows, doors, and trim can be installed without furring.
The primary function of the sheathing wrap, whether building felt or plastic housewrap, is to protect against water leakage. It is critical, therefore, to cover the entire shell from roof to foundation, including gable ends and band joists, and always to lap upper layers over lower layers to shed water. It is also critical to integrate the sheathing wrap with all window, door, and other wall flashings if the weather barrier is to be successful.
The IRC requires asphalt felt to be minimum 14 pounds per square (ASTM D226), overlapped a minimum of 6 inches at vertical joints and 2 inches at horizontal laps. Plastic-housewrap manufacturers recommend 6 to 12 inches of overlap at vertical seams and 4 inches at horizontal laps, with all joints taped.
It is good practice to wrap corners at least 6 inches each way. If the walls are sheathed and wrapped before being raised, leave a 6- to 12-inch overlap at one side of each corner, and leave a 12-inch, unstapled flap at the bottom to cover the band joist area after the sheathing is nailed off. Wide staples with a minimum 1-inch crown are recommended every 12 to 18 inches for plastic housewraps.
A manufacturer is building for us a RV Park Model, and their pride is that they build these like regular homes (not like mobile homes). However, they are telling us that under the siding (which will be Hardie panels with baton strips) there would be a plastic wrap which is mandatory. Under the plastic wrap they could use foam backer, OSB or fiber brace backer board. Plywood is also an option. Under that are the 2x4 and insulation. We are against the plastic wrap, and we are against plastic wrap with foam backer. They could supply it otherwise unfinished exterior, with OSB only or Plywood.
We have heard horror stories about the moisture trapping due to the plastic wrap and the foam. Do you have a recommendation what siding to use, which would allow the house the breath, and what material to install under the siding.
(FYI: Our regular house has had masonite for 30 years, and there is a felt-like material under it. The sections that have not been exposed to moisture in the upper sections, are still good. We do not have experience with the Hardie and the modern backer materials). - M.
If I understand the question, the wall from the outside in consists of:
Hardie board siding products require a water-resistive barrier underneath such as felt paper or Tyvek. An impermeable plastic wrap should never be used on the exterior.
If the builder wants to use foam board, as mentioned, he should also omit any interior vapor barrier.
In general, a house with foam sheathing should be able to dry to the interior, so impermeable finishes on the interior such a vinyl wallpaper are also not recommended with foam sheathing.
The other key factor is the R-value of the foam sheathing relative to the climate and to the R-value of the cavity insulation. In general, foam sheathing keeps wall cavities dryer by warming the wall cavity and preventing condensation.
But the foam sheathing must be thick enough to prevent condensation on the back of the foam in cold weather. With 2x4 walls insulated with fiberglass or cellulose, the minimum R-value of the foam should be R-10 near the Canadian border, R 7.5 across the northern US and New England, and R-5 across the middle of US (based or IRC Table R601.3.1).
The code does not specify minimum levels for exterior foam in the South since condensation in cold weather is generally not an issue there. - S.B.
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Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
On 2020-09-07 by (mod) - Can I install house wrap over the damp walls without any issues?
ET
Thank you for a helpful house-wrap installation question: ok to install over wet surfaces or not.
Bottom line:
I would prefer NOT to install housewrap over a wet structure. Even though these products are designed to allow moisture escape (that's water molecules not water droplets), they're designed to protect the building walls from water penetration briefly during construction (after the wrap is installed) and during the building life over a therefore long term (after siding has been installed).
The dry-out process of an actually-wet building sheathing surface, sending moisture molecules (not droplets) through the house-wrap during drying, will be very slow. The risk then is sheathing damage and possibly mold contamination. I'd prefer to wait until the building is dry - near 18% measured in wood surfaces.
Details:
Certainly I've seen housewrap installed over rained-on surfaces without an ensuing building failure, complaint, etc. so what we worry about is not happening in every instance. Here is OPINION along with some citations and research.
I reviewed the installation instructions for several popular products and can understand why you'd ask as many of them are silent on this question.
However some, Typar and Greenguard, for example, don't want you to install the wrap when surfaces are wet. Others such as DuPont (Tyvek) may say the same if you call the manufacturer's technical help line.
While the housewrap is intended to let moisture out of the wall while keeping wind-blown rain from penetrating the wall, putting housewrap over a really wet surface is likely to mean
1. the dry-out of the sheathing will be delayed, risking water damage or mold contamination
2. the installation of siding would want to be delayed until the building sheathing has dried, lest you create a still-worse slow-dryout moisture problem; and how are you going to know how dry the sheathing is if it's covered by both housewrap and siding? A moisture meter will be incomplete and will give varying results, and you won't be able to measure all areas, nooks and crannies of the structure.
Surfactants that break down water molecules to speed movement and drying may come from the treatments of the OSB sheathing itself, improving the dryout process. But this is NOT a design feature and can not in my view be depended-on.
I've seen some contractors say to go ahead and install the housewrap but slit it to let the sheathing dry, then tape the slits closed. That seems a confounded to me and I also worry about the usual pressure to rush onwards with the siding: I'd prefer to wait a bit.
Also see:
Fisette, Paul, "Leaky Housewraps", BCT U-Mass, Amherst (2000) web article, original source: https://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/articles/leaky-housewraps/?q=bmatwt%2Fpublications%2Farticles%2Fleaky_housewraps.html
Excerpt: "If water gets on the wrong side of a felt-wrapped wall, the felt can absorb the water and over time allow drying to the outside of the structure. Plastic housewraps don’t move water this way. Plastic wraps are non absorbent. They rely on vapor diffusion to move water that gets on the wrong side of the wrap. Diffusion is a slow and weak force. The perm rating of felt is much lower (less permeable) than the plastic housewraps when it is dry. But this does not mean that it traps water vapor in the wall cavity. As the relative humidity rises, the perm rating of felt rises too- eventually above that of Tyvek. "
Fisette, Paul, "Housewraps, Felt Paper and Weather Penetration Barriers", BCT U-Mass, Amherst (2000) https://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/articles/housewraps-felt-paper-and-weather-penetration-barriers/
Excerpts: " Typically, building paper is installed as soon as the sheathing is installed. " [Note that nothing is said about wet sheathing in that section.]
... "The sealed-face method is straight out – non-effective. The vented rain-screen approach is clearly the Mother of all weather-barrier systems. However, the redundant-barrier approach works well and is the most cost effective option."
and
... "The redundant-barrier works well for the vast majority of homes built today. And this system has the advantage of being familiar to builders. Basically, putting tar paper or approved housewrap on the exterior walls before siding is installed is the first step to build an effective redundant-barrier system. Proper installation is required to make this system work. You must design a drainage plane that keeps water out! When water penetrates the siding, it must have a clear path to follow downward. Water must remain outside of the protective wrap"
Weston, Theresa A., Xuaco Pascual, and Kimdolyn Boone. "Water Resistance and Durability of Weather-Resistive Barriers." In Performance and Durability of the Window-Wall Interface. ASTM International, 2006.
On 2020-09-07 by ET
It has rained all night, and the OSB on the exterior of my house is damp. Can I install house wrap over the damp walls without any issues?
On 2017-04-21 - by (mod) -
ES
I'd like to see a more-expert investigation of the water leaks at your patio door, since wet electrical wiring is unsafe. You want to be SURE that the leaks have all been found and corrected and the wiring or devices replaced if needed.
Foam of course won't seal against leaks.
Start outside looking at the horizontal trim around the door top, then down the sides, and of course at the door bottom where a pan under the threshold may have been omitted. You want to find the highest point at which water is entering by looking for stains. Sometimes I have to make that same examination indoors at the interior trim.
Beware too of leaving previously-wet moldy drywall or insulation in place around the door. We don't want to have to fix this twice.
On 2017-04-20 by ES
Hi I have discovered that my downstairs patio door leaks when rain water blows against it. It appears the water is pooling inside the plastic wrapped around the door framing stuff. This same water also seems to shorting out my electric as twice now I have had to reset the fuse box to get power back to my light and exterior outlet. I think the previous owners had the problem as the door is partially lined with expanding foam instead of insulation. There is a space for a deck above this patio door, all that is there is a board that is warping outward. Any ideas on what the problem might be and how do I find someone to fix it? Thank you.
On 2016-10-14 by john petersen
could someone direct her in the right direction on house wrapping, I saw she has asked this before. thank you.
On 2016-10-14 by Ruth Hull
is wrapping a home a good idea before using hardy plank
On 2016-08-25 by jeff
thanks do you staple every 12 in. how do you staple the house wrap on
On 2016-08-24 - by (mod) -
Jeff:
Typically the housewrap is installed completely covering the window frame rough opening (R.O.). Then when we're ready to set the sash into the R.O. we cut the housewrap diagonally from opening corner to corner in an X cut using a knife. The housewrap is then folded over the RO Frame, stapled down, and I trim the housewrap even with the interior edge of the RO framing.
Frankly I don't think it's critical, since after setting the window or door into the frame and squaring and shimming it up, I'm going to use flashing tape around the window or door
On 2016-08-23 by jeff
how much wrap do you wrap inside window frames
(Nov 9, 2011) Anthony said:
I was wondering what kind of failures are associated with house wrap as a building product?
Anthony I may misunderstand your question, but indeed housewrap IS a building product.
If you mean what goes wrong when installing housewrap, some common snafus I see are
- incomplete installation - subcontractor in a rush to get siding up just omits the housewrap on some walls
- improper installation - lapped the wrong way at horizontal seams and around windows and doors, risking leaks into the structure
For a really reliable installation, spring for the small added cost for adhesive housewrap tape and use it to secure housewrap around the building penetrations as well as to fix tears and damage.
(July 15, 2014) Anonymous said:
We have opened the exterior limestone exterior walls of a house to discover mold growing on the sheathing (an exterior drywall panel that has no tape or seal where the panels butt). The mold is also on the inner side of the sheathing. There was no growth on the fiberglass insulation. The insulation was not faced but was covered on the inside with visqueen which was installed over the stud wall framing. My concern is that the exterior drywall sheathing should have been covered by a moisture barrier and that visqueen is not a good barrier as it will not allow the passage of air and could have promoted the growth of the mold. Please comment with your opinion.
Anon,
It was common practice when moisture-resistant drywall was installed as building exterior sheathing to install 15# felt paper over that surface before installing the finish siding.
You can see photos of this construction method in our article on brick veneer walls
inspectapedia.com/structure/Brick_Veneer_Wall_Loose.htm
But yo do not want a moisture barrier under exterior siding you want a water barrier. The difference is that modern products such as Tyvek house wrap allow moisture molecules to pass through the barrier to avoid trapping moisture inside the wall (presumably entering from any source including the building interior) while at the same time the housewrap keeps actual water droplets out of the wall - as wind-blown water can enter the wall cladding (vinyl siding is, for example not a waterproof barrier). Housewrap also serves as an air barrier, though tightly-butted plywood or similar sheathing products are quite air-resistant except at cuts, openings, or sloppy assembly points.
Placing a plastic moisture barrier over the studs and beneath the finish drywall on the interior wall surface is common building practice and itself is not the cause of mold growth in the wall cavity. Since at least the mid 1980's (Boston JLC conference 1985) we've known that nearly all of the moisture penetration into wall and ceiling cavities from the building interior occurs at wall and ceiling penetrations, not through the field of the drywall - making the plastic less critical than sealing at penetrations.
Bottom line: you had leaks (moisture-laden air, water or both) into the wall cavity that wet the paper on the interior or wall cavity side of the moisture-resistant gypsum board used on the building exterior. With a finished-wall construction of solid sheets of drywall on both sides of the framed wall, that would likely trap moisture enough to invite mold growth on the paper.
Focus on the leaks and moisture sources.
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