Doug Miller wrote:

The reason the Tyvek is there has nothing whatsoever to do with the
siding being "leaky". The Tyvek it there to block air infiltration

Isn't that what I just said?

No, it isn't. The siding is supposed to be ventilated and can be used
with or without the Tyvek. The Tyvek is there to improve sealing of the
building envelope i.e. the joints between the sheets of OSB, regardless
of the siding placed over it, not to overcome some deficiency in the
siding.


while
allowing water vapor to pass preventing condensation buildup within the
walls. Vinyl siding is specifically vented to prevent condensation
buildup behind it, traditional wood siding or shingles are similarly
ventilated due to their lap joints.

How does that "vent" traditional wood siding?

There is no sealant in the laps of traditional wood siding, nor is it a
very tight joint. This "leaky" overlap joint provides the same
ventilation function that the cut slots in the vinyl siding provide,
allowing water vapor migrating from inside the house to escape rather
than condense behind the siding and cause rot, mold or other problems.



Sure you'd get a
detectable amount on the inside if you were sampling the air inside,
but certainly not enough to do the damage seen on the tyvek.

How are you going to get a detectable amount on the inside if it almost
entirely evaporates on the outside? If you can get a detectable amount on the
inside

Inside as in behind the vinyl siding, not inside the house.

Oh, yeah, sure, that must be what you meant. How were planning to get a
sniffer between the vinyl siding and the sheathing?

How about sticking the sampling hose through one of the vent slots in
the vinyl siding?


The vinyl
siding has vent slots at each lap location just as traditional wood
siding effectively does. Of course you will get detectable amounts of a
solvent behind the siding, but detectable and sufficient to affect the
Tyvek are not even remotely synonymous.

Got any data behind that assumption? Or are you just guessing again?

Yep. You're the only one guessing and making dangerous suggestions.


-- after it's passed through the siding, the Tyvek, the sheathing, the
insulation, the drywall, and a layer or two of paint -- how can you possibly
think that there "certainly" wouldn't be enough to damage the Tyvek?

I never said that solvent applied to the surface of the siding would
ever make it past the Tyvek, OSB, etc., that is your moronic assumption
and entirely false.

You wrote "detectable amount inside". If you meant "behind the siding" you
could have said so -- not my fault if you didn't write what you meant.

Only a moron would take "inside" to mean inside the house, when the
entire discussion has centered around the siding, Tyvek wrap and OSB
sheathing.


Do you
have any data behind that assumption, or are you just guessing again? Do you
even know how much solvent, or what type of solvent, it takes to do that?

You're the only one making unfounded and dangerous assumptions.

OK, so you *don't* have any data behind that assumption, and you *are* just
guessing. Got it.

Yes, I do have data. I've read the OP's posts and they have provided
quite sufficient data to indicate that the solvent was applied many
months ago and was thinner wiped on to remove overspray from staining
the deck and has pretty much zero chance of being related to the OP's
recently deformed siding.


Suggest
you stick your head back up your butt and stop endangering people by
suggesting they ignore signs of a possible fire hazard in their wall.

*What* signs?

* More damage to the Tyvek wrap than the siding.
* Extra nail visible in the sheathing in the suspect area.
* Four electrical boxes surrounding the suspect area.



Look, I'm not saying that he absolutely shouldn't open up the wall -- just
saying that he should look at the back side of the vinyl siding first, which
he does not appear to have done. Somebody asked him a couple days ago what
the
back side of it looked like; as far as I can tell, he hasn't answered that
question yet.

And I've noted that looking at the back of the siding is not likely to
show any discoloration since it was not exposed to direct flame, it was
exposed to moderate heat, heat that will deform the vinyl siding well
before it discolors it.

Still waiting for your explanation of how your magic heat source discolors the
vinyl siding on the surface *away* from the heat, but not on the surface
*toward* it...

I never made any such claim. You are the only one who ever suggested
there would be discoloration on the siding.


Suggest you go to your local building supply place and get a sample of
vinyl siding and a piece of OSB. Place the siding on top of the OSB in
your oven and start baking it at the lowest temp, say 150-170 degrees.
When the siding starts to sag check the back for any discoloration.

That "test" obviously doesn't even come close to replicating the conditions
you believe to exist. Here's a better one: place the siding on top of the OSB,
outdoors, and then build a wood fire underneath the OSB. When the surface of
the vinyl siding *away* from the heat source begins to discolor, examine the
surface of the siding *toward* the heat source, *and* the OSB, for signs of
damage. Go ahead -- try it. Then tell us what you find.

Try applying Tyvek and vinyl siding onto the OSB and then torch the OSB
from the back until the vinyl deforms. Again, you are the only one who
has made any claims of discoloration on the vinyl siding.



It's also been suggested to the OP that he perform a test on a scrap of
siding, to see if the stain and the solvent he used will produce similar
damage. He hasn't yet reported results of that test, either.

The solvent use in question was many months ago, and the damage to the
siding was obvious enough that it is very unlikely it went unnoticed all
those months.

Yet you don't find it unlikely at all that a heat source inside the wall would
discolor the surface of the vinyl siding *away* from the heat source, while
leaving the surface *toward* the heat source undisturbed.

Where is this magic discoloration on the surface of the vinyl siding you
claim? The OP's photos do not show any discoloration on the vinyl
siding.


Doesn't say much for your ability to evaluate what's likely or unlikely.

Doesn't say much for your reading comprehension or visual acuity.



Both you and the OP have got the idea so firmly fixed in your heads that a
heat source inside the wall is the only possible cause of this problem, that
neither one of you is the least bit willing to entertain any alternative
explanation.

No, we have objectively analyzed the available information

ROTFLMAO!

You probably are since you're too stupid to do anything intelligent.


and concluded
that an internal heat source is the most likely cause. The relative
location of the damage vs. the electrical boxes, combined with the
notable extra nail in that immediate area further support that
conclusion. Giving the significant risk of the likely cause, that avenue
needs to be investigated immediately.

Uh-huh. And it was this "objective" analysis that let you to conclude that the
presumed heat source discolored the side of the vinyl siding *away* from the
heat, the side exposed to free air, the side *guaranteed* to be the coolest,
while leaving undisturbed the surface of the siding with the greatest exposure
to heat.

Where is this discoloration you claim? The OP's photo
(http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/IMG_6627.JPG) does not show any
such discoloration. If you can't differentiate a shadow from
discoloration, that's your problem.


The same "objective" analysis of the damage apparent on the successive layers,
namely, severe damage to the siding (outermost), slight damage to the Tyvek
(next inside), no damage evident on the OSB (innermost of the three visible),
also led you to conclude that the damage was caused by a heat source INterior
to the home. Right, a heat source INside the wall causes the greatest damage
on the OUTside, and the closer you get to the heat source, the less damage is
apparent.

Your analysis of the damage is seriously flawed. The damage to the
Tyvek, namely shrinkage and melting to the point of holes forming, is
significantly greater than the damage to the vinyl siding, namely
softening and sagging.


Phooey. You *began* with the assumption of an internal heat source, and you're
inventing explanations for it, in the absence of any clear evidence.

I've noted plenty of evidence to support an internal heat source, you've
not noted any evidence to back your claims and indeed you have
fabricated claims not supported by anything the OP has posted.

Pete C.