Tyvek vs. Dow Weathermate Plus Home Wrap
Hi All,
I’m a newby here. Intro, I’m a homebuilder in the Jackson Hole Wyoming area. Ironically, this question revolves around an article in the March 06 FHB on Housewraps. Fortunately or unfortunately, our company has grown to the point of having to let go of the reins and have had to hire additional supers, beside myself and my partner, to build some of our projects. One of our homes sits atop a heavily windswept hill in Teton Valley Idaho. Our superintendent was opposed to using Tyvek because of it’s resistance to tearing and said he’d had better results with Typar. I’ve always used Tyvek and related to his comments, but after reading the FHB article, I was convinced that my gut feel didn’t mislead me and I told him to use the tyvek. Well, I drove over yesterday for my weekly visit, and saw the castle of Smurf. DOW Housewrap is blue. When he had called the local lumber company for the delivery of house wrap and window flashing material, the sales rep informed him they were out of Tyvek and recommended using DOW weathermate plus because it was being highly tauted by the Dow rep to be superior to Tyvek in resisting tears and wind driven abrasion. I told him not to set the windows until I did some further investigation. This morning I spoke to a DOW rep in Salt Lake and he assured me that the product superior to Tyvek in many ways and based on our local climate had a compatible perm rating.
To get to the bottom of this long story and before I decide to rip 7 rolls of wrap off, my question is, has anyone ever switched from Tyvek to Weathermate and regreted making that decision?
Replies
Steve, as a framer in the Southeast, I've used both...if it was my house I wouldn't use either--instead I'd probably use 15# felt or Greenguard RainDrop (I think that's the name).
Having said that, I think what's most important is that the housewrap, no matter which brand, is installed and flashed correctly.
I've used both, again--my main complaints about the Dow product is it's more "plasticky", meaning it's stretchier and tends to tear slightly around nails, holes, etc. OTOH, Tyvek, while being more "papery" sounds like grinding iron if it flaps in the wind, and will eventually shred itself if exposed to long periods of windy weather. If I had to choose, though, I'd go with the Tyvek, if only because it just seems lighter on the roll and easier to install.
In any case, don't let a salesman persuade you!
Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Every brand of housewrap is superior to every other brand.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
steve.. the housewraps are ok.. but we went back to felt..
15# under wood shingles, 30# under fibercement
i certainly wouldn't rip off what you already have installed.. i'd just double check it for correct installation and the flashing detailsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Hey Mike, I just wrapped a dormer in 15-lb felt in preparation for shingling with fibercement shingles, and just read your post stating that you use 30-lb in this case. Just wondering, how come? Is it because you know the FC will be up there for years and years?
in an abundance of caution..
in corner board areas, and for window splines, etc.. we were always folding our 15 lb. to get double thickness
also , 15 lb. rips easily, so we would often have to replace sections of it.. after a while, i just decided to switch to 30 lbMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I prefer the tyvek housewrap, but if you want an upgrade look into "commerial tyvek".
Over the past year I have been involved on a couple of commercial jobs where the commercial tyvek has been used. The exposure limits are longer than house grade and its surface is more durable and slicker.
The application specs are best followed...taped seams, plastic cap nails per schedule, caulked bottom edge to the foundation. and top edge wrapped over the parapet and secured.
Beware the salesman's endorsements for his real motives are powered by blindly accepted hype and a potentially bigger paycheck.
..................Iron Helix
I cant see any reason to be married to tyvek just because it was the first on the block. The data on weathermate seems to show a much superior product.
I'd use anything besides tyvek! Typar is much superior.
Tyvek will buzz in the wind if you leave a loose flap somewhere up in the overhangs or behind siding.
blue
I agree. I quit using Tyvek several years ago....Typar, which may be only marginally better, can certainly be exposed longer and is a hell of a lot easier on the eyeballs on a bright day.