OT: Roofing felt under house siding

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2009

Seems like I have three options on residing my house. I am pulling off the 12" lap siding. One option is to put the lap siding (cement board) right over the sheeting without a barrier like the original siding was which lasted 36 years. Option #2 would be to use a house wrap like Tyvex. Option #3 would be to use a layer of 15# roofing felt. I have seen tar paper used under siding before. What is your experience with roofing felt. I am sort of leaning towards roofing felt due to the ease of application, effectiveness in keeping water out and cost. Would that be a good option?

Dandy Don · Aug 21, 2009

I would wrap with Tyvex for sure. I did about ten years ago. I think it was about $195.00 a roll and it took two rolls but was well worth it.
Don

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2009

I would use Guard Wrap,,, for the money, it works the Best,,, 9 foot by 100 foot rolls cost about $60.00 and easy to put on,

Tar paper won't keep the wind out and is not good for condensation problems on wallls, it's made for roofs,

730-LP · Aug 21, 2009

option # 4 put a layer of 1/2 insulation 4 x 8 sheets are thicker if possible

OldFarmTractor · Aug 21, 2009

Just had my house resided-upstairs only.

They used Tyvek, 1/2" board styrofoam and then the vinyl siding. This is great but better yet is installing vinyl replacement windows. I can tell the difference already. It has typically been way to warm in the summer on the upper floor. After the work was done, it was much better.

The windows were much less than the siding in cost but help so much with the energy savings.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2009

That would not be a good option. House wrap lets water vapor out but is wind proof. It is much lighter and easier to handle than roof felt. I don't know where you got the idea felt will be easier to handle. Over the house wrap goes 3/4" polyisocyanurate foil faced foam (R5) then the siding. Do it the right way for best results. It's too much work and expense to do it wrong.

johndeerefan · Aug 21, 2009

Definetly house wrap it. You will be happier when you get your electric bill. It does keep any air from entering the walls.

dhermesc · Aug 21, 2009

I would at least wrap the house in Tyvex, for the money and ease of handling you can't go wrong.

If I was very particular I'd use roofing felt instead. I pulled siding off a 90 year house a while back that had tar paper (roofing felt) under the siding. The box boards that it covered still looked new. Applied correctly it is windproof and waterproof and will stay that way for decades. The felt paper is just a little bit of extra insurance.

Walterdavies · Aug 21, 2009

I see all these guys saying use plastic House Wrap. Now its good for wind and Water and such but it also has a big downside. If you seal up the house to much then it will suck in cold wet air in the morning and then squeeze out the hot dry air in the afternoon.
Believe me i have friends who have spent as much as $30,000 to get the water and ruined boards out of the walls.
If you want to see how this works then take a large bottle and wrap it up good and set it out in the sun for a few days.

Personally i would use the old tar paper its worked quite well for over 100 years the Tyveck is well know for water in the walls problem.
Walt

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2009

No brainer. The TAR paper as they used to uses in the old days is not worth the effort in air pentration all the laps ect . Use a good grade house wrap and go on tape around the windows ..
You want be sorry. Nothing like cutting down on the heat bills.

Sid · Aug 21, 2009

Tyvek, DO NOT use felt roofing paper under vinyl. I have seen a couple and hard of more cases where it got hot and the vinyl stuck to the roofing paper. This will cause problems.

g mccool · Aug 21, 2009

Tyvek !!!!!!!!! With out a dought is the best way to go. It is one piece & that eliminates seams which is where air will leak in. I have seen people use roofing felt & it has bled through on the siding leaving a stain. Gerald

sotxbill · Aug 21, 2009

if you use the plastic, it will foul up, mold up and cause brain damage. Studies show that you will then vote for the wrong party and become socialist...

wait!!!.. its too late.

IH2444 · Aug 21, 2009

everything I had ever hears says that the walls should not be sealed on the outside with an impermable barrier. It will cause warm watervapor from inside the house to collect inside the walls.

Everything I had been told was that the vapor barrier was put behind the drywall on the inside of the studs.

oliver power · Aug 21, 2009

Tyvek house wrapp for sure. Buy the 9 foot rolls. For ease of handleing, use a saw to cut the roll in half. 4-1/2 foot rolls are much easyer to handle by yourself. Use Tyvek tape around all opennings, and seams. Forget the tar paper.

onefarmer · Aug 21, 2009

That's what I did, with the foil backing. Also siliconed the edges.

I added a porch joining to old front and back porches together. I sheeted in with Plywood and then the insulation. I even siliconed the plywood edges there.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2009

Where do you live ? Kinda need to know your climate, (hot, cold wet, dry ?) and is the lap siding vinyl, steel, cement or wood ? Is the moisture outside trying to get in or inside trying to get out ? Are termites, carpenter ants ect a problem. I remodel (or I used to when money was to be made) houses in northern California and North Dakota, and frankly, I would rather use toilet paper that Tyvek. I have never worked in humid areas like the north east or the south so maby it is different, but I will take heavy asphalt paper anytime. Heck, my great grand parents survived 12 years on the northern plains in an asphalt paper shack without any siding.

CBBC · Aug 22, 2009

I'm no expert but I see a lot of new construction going back to the tar paper from the building wrap systems.

My house is sealed up tight. Good vapour on the inside and tight sealed wrap on outside under the vinle siding. Great - no drafts or drips - but it doesn't breath either. If I don't run the HRV, moisture condenses on the inside in the winter, and the air is very stale in the summer.

I think there needs to be a ballance, good luck. Grant.

Wilsonfire · Aug 22, 2009

I think there is a slight misconception here. Tyvek and other "house wrap" is a PERMEABLE membrane. It will breathe while keeping out the wind. Works very well in central OK at keeping a house draft free year round.

steveormary · Aug 22, 2009

The house has to breath and you will need something to break the wind.

steveormary

Anonymous-0 · Aug 22, 2009

Here in northern ontario, Canada where we get hot summers and cold winters all the construction uses "Typar" house wrap. I am familiar with "Tyvek" and the typar is a more permeable membrane. It will keep most water out (as in suitable for 90% of homes) but most importantly it breathes. Condensation forms when there is no breathability (like buddies plastic bottle example). The reason why tarpaper seems like a fine housewrap is because it kept most water out but was drafty enough to dry any water penetrations.
Typar housewrap does the same thing but more efficiently.
The type of housewrap isn't that big of a deal anyways because the shell of the house is supposed to keep the wind off the insulation and the water out. When you have condensation/air movement issues in your home you should be more concerned with the vapour barrier (plastic sheeting or the common trade name of "Super 6") on the inside of your home. A super sealed home without an air exchanger (i.e. Venmar system) will be that "plastic bottle". What you want actually is a super sealed home with an air exchanger. Cheaper to heat/cool, controls humidity in the home preventing decay and dry rot.
At least that's been my observation! lol
Good luck!

ets80 · Jan 3, 2013

House Wrap for sure

rocko · Jan 3, 2013

I was wondering the same thing when I read that. Who ever was advising him certainly hasn't done both, I have as I assume you have. TyVek (a brand name) or a similar product and theres lotsa copycats out there nowadays would install 100 X easier or at least twice as easy.LOL. Rocko.

Pops1532 · Jan 3, 2013

Felt is ok under some types of siding. I would never use it under vinyl since the oils in the paper could damage the vinyl. Plus felt is a PITA to use on walls. 9' rolls of house wrap are much faster and easier to use as well as more efficient.

Tyvek is a very good product. There are others as well.

Stay away from plastic type wraps that don't breathe.

foam board insulation can be beneficial, but you'll get more bang for your buck insulating between the studs than with insulated sheathing.

Foil faced sheathing will void the warranty on some vinyl siding.

W_B · Jan 3, 2013

Yep, use the house wrap (this is the 21st century!). I wrapped my stand alone garage, that had no sheathing on it, and put cedar log siding over that. It's easy to put up, even by yourself with just a staple gun (my helper, the wife, is pretty useless for projects that might last longer than 10 minutes, so I do a lot by myself). Not sure why you think old stinkin' tar paper would be easier... it's not.

OT: Roofing felt under house siding

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