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.

On Sunday, December 7, 2014 11:05:22 PM UTC-5, 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.

What you're saying would largely be true, if it were just a plastic
wrap that was totally impermeable. It's Tyvek or similar, which keeps
rain and wind out, but at the same time, allows water vapor to pass.

Houses today are built with a lot less air infiltration than they had
100 years ago, or even decades ago. But I think there is still plenty
of air exchange due to leakage. And if you want more air exchange,
a heat recovery ventilator can be added. That's a much better way of
getting fresh air than having leakage, because most of the heat is
saved as opposed to going out the window, so to speak.

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

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.

Tyvec. Woven polyethylene.

http://www.prolitegear.com/prolitege...ek_closeup.png

Greg

As others have said, it's vapor-permeable wind-barrier
wrap -- the same basic material as those envelopes that
you can't tear; also used often for bank card covers.

I wonder about it in the very long term. What if it breaks
down over years? (I wonder the same about flakeboard
sheathing.) But in general it's a good solution. With the outer
wall breathing and plastic vapor barrier under the drywall
on the inside, moisture stays inside, providing for better
air quality on warm winter days. I have a brother who built
his own house that way in the 80s, using 6" studs for better
insulation. He heats it (in NH) with only a wood stove. There
are no drafts. The down side is also that there are no drafts.
One needs to open the windows a bit to get fresh air because
the house is super-sealed, essentially a plastic bubble.

Tar paper is fine, but doesn't breathe as well. House wrap
solves the problem created by interior use of plastic vapor
barrier. In older houses, vapor freely moves through the walls,
but if you seal the interior with plastic sheet you need a way
to let moisture in the wall get out.


wrote in message
...
| 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.
|
|

On 12/8/2014 12:37 AM, gregz wrote:
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.

Tyvec. Woven polyethylene.

http://www.prolitegear.com/prolitege...ek_closeup.png

Greg


Right but Tyvek is not woven but spun bonded, that is the polyethylene
fibers stick together during the spinning process.

Sheeeet!

"Mayayana" wrote in message

As others have said, it's vapor-permeable wind-barrier
wrap -- the same basic material as those envelopes that
you can't tear; also used often for bank card covers.

I wonder about it in the very long term. What if it breaks
down over years? (I wonder the same about flakeboard
sheathing.)

When my wife inherited a log house a few years ago, we had to do some
repairs because the "builder" (her idiot ex-step FIL) had not had the
windows installed properly in the upper story (which has stud walls).
Everytime it rained, water ran into the walls. The Tyvek was shot; the
OSB was sawdust.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

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

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).

Jerry,

Search for 'weep screed', dampness drains at the bottom edge of the
wall. I have this on my three coat stucco exterior walls.

Sample view:

http://localism.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/4/6/8/ar130755449886468.jpg
--
.... if I had the perfect woman, I'd want twins -- Blackberry Smoke

On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 08:57:20 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

As others have said, it's vapor-permeable wind-barrier
wrap -- the same basic material as those envelopes that
you can't tear; also used often for bank card covers.

I wonder about it in the very long term. What if it breaks
down over years? (I wonder the same about flakeboard
sheathing.) But in general it's a good solution. With the outer
wall breathing and plastic vapor barrier under the drywall
on the inside, moisture stays inside, providing for better
air quality on warm winter days. I have a brother who built
his own house that way in the 80s, using 6" studs for better
insulation. He heats it (in NH) with only a wood stove. There
are no drafts. The down side is also that there are no drafts.
One needs to open the windows a bit to get fresh air because
the house is super-sealed, essentially a plastic bubble.

The Tyvek/Typar degrades slowly in ultraviolet light which is why it
has a finite lifespan when un-covered and MUST be covered with some
sort of siding in, I believe, a maximum of 6 months.

As far as the flake board is concerned, I have virtually no use for
it. As a subloor it is terrible, and as a sheathing not much better.
As a roof???? Fergettit!!!!

Tar paper is fine, but doesn't breathe as well. House wrap
solves the problem created by interior use of plastic vapor
barrier. In older houses, vapor freely moves through the walls,
but if you seal the interior with plastic sheet you need a way
to let moisture in the wall get out.


wrote in message
.. .
| 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.
|
|

Jerry:

The point you're missing is that water VAPOUR can pass through Tyvek, but not liquid water.

The reason for this is that the space between the long polyethylene molecules in Tyvek is smaller than the average distance between water molecules in liquid water. In order for liquid water to pass through a film the holes in that film must be large enough for several H2O molecules to pass through the hole simultaneously. Otherwise, NONE of them will pass through the hole. This is because in liquid water, the individual H2O molecules are polar and they attract one another with considerable force. It is this mutual attraction between water molecules that give rise to surface tension in water so that you can "float" a razor blade on the surface of very cold water.

Because the polyethylene molecules in Tyvek are too close together to allow liquid water to pass through the film, but far enough apart to allow individual H2O molecules to pass through relatively easily, Tyvek works to keep walls dry. It allows any humidity that gets into the wall, and even condenses inside the wall to evaporate to the outside through the Tyvek, but won't allow rain to come through the Tyvek from the outside.

So, having Tyvek on your house is not at all like living in a plastic bag. It's like living in a dry house where humidity can escape to the outside, but rain water can't get in.

I don't know if that red Tyvek tape has this same characteristic as Tyvek.

wrote:

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).

Material like Tyvek (DuPont's trademarked name) is used for FroggTogg's line
of lightweight and inexpensive raingear since it passes water vapor readily
but repels liquid. It works very well.

So, short answer, it passes water vapor by design.

Mayayana wrote:

I wonder about it in the very long term. What if it breaks
down over years? (I wonder the same about flakeboard
sheathing.) But in general it's a good solution.

Long term? As I watched them throw up apartment building next to where I
work I came to the conclusion long term wasn't one of the criteria. Bulldoze
it in 30 or 40 years and throw up whatever is stylish that decade.

On Tuesday, December 9, 2014 10:15:16 AM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
Mayayana wrote:

I wonder about it in the very long term. What if it breaks
down over years? (I wonder the same about flakeboard
sheathing.) But in general it's a good solution.

Long term? As I watched them throw up apartment building next to where I
work I came to the conclusion long term wasn't one of the criteria. Bulldoze
it in 30 or 40 years and throw up whatever is stylish that decade.

I recently had to pull off some cedar siding that's above a roof
on my house. The Tyvek was 30 years old, still in good shape and
looked capable of still doing what it needs to do.