On Sun, 07 Dec 2014 22:04:58 -0600, wrote:

This is about that plastic wrapping they use to cover the exterior of a
house under the siding. (Not a house that plays Rap Music)

Anyhow, it seems that every new house built, and every house that gets
new siding, is covered with this plastic wrap. Then, they use a wide
tape, and apply the tape around doors and windows. The end result is a
home that is similar to living inside a huge plastic bag.

First, I have wondered if the people living in these houses are getting
enough oxygen to breathe, particularly if they are retired older people
who dont go out much.

Second, doesn't all the moisture inside the house get trapped in the
walls, which will cause the wood to rot? (And most new homes are built
with chip board, which does not hold up well in moist conditions).

Somehow, I dont agree with the use of this material, and would not use
it on my own home, if I was going to build a new house or reside (which
I am not planning to do either).

Years ago, they applied tar paper, which was a paper coated with tar.
That would shed any water that got beneath the siding, but still allowed
for ventilation. To me, that made more sense, and it worked pretty
well. It was not taped around doors and windows, but was often left so
the door or window frame would overlap it, and form a tight seal.

First of all, house-wrap is NOT plasic. It is generally Ty-Par which
is waterproof but vapour permeable. The vapour barier goes on the
inside. Any moisture that gets into the wall cavity can "breathe" out
through the house-wrap, but humidity inside the house cannot get out
into the insulation to condense on the cold outside sheathing and wet
the insulation. The plastic from the vapour barier is wrapped to the
outside and taped to stop ANY leaks from the interior into the
insulation space.

The new house-wrap is MUCH better than tar paper - and todays houses
are very well sealed - which is why many now have heat recovery
ventilators installed as standard equipment. Warm moint air goes out
through the recovery unit, warming the dry incoming cold air -
recovering most of the heat.

There is usually an air space between the house-wrap and the final
siding or brick which allows air circulation to let any moisture that
migrates through the housewrap out, and to let any water that gets
through the siding drain away.

Building any other way today would be foolishness on your part