Why Is Tyvek Used Under Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding can be installed directly over wall sheathing wood siding or stucco.

Why is tyvek used under vinyl siding.

During a recent repair to our siding we found that the house had no building wrap tyvek under the siding. It seems that we have two options. Faq s acronym s terminology to tyvek or not to tyvek that is the question. Siding that s assembled from large panels such as vinyl or aluminum cladding also makes a good candidate too since water can enter through cracks where the pieces are joined.

The wood that goes under residential siding exterior sheathing performs several functions. On all walls and all exposure conditions there were large areas of the tyvek which were deteriorated to the point of tissue paper. If you ve ever taken vinyl siding off a house the day after a good rain it s all wet back there anyways which is why we insist on tyvek. I have seen literally hundreds of houses stripped of asbestos siding that had 15 felt under it.

Builder omits house wrap under siding. They were built in the 1950s and 60s the felt was in perfect condition. Vinyl siding is not water proof is not intended to be water proof and i don t know a siding manufacturer that claims it to be anything more than a cladding. This explains why the house does not retain heat.

That s what the tyvek is for. I saw a new house with felt paper under the siding rather than tyvek. By doing so however you miss out on the opportunity to add add energy savings to the project. Our house was built about seven years ago.

I want to replace the tar paper but i can t find it at homedepot or lowes. Its primary purpose is to prevent air and water leaks that may have seeped past the vinyl exterior. Tyvek was used underneath very poorly installed. It adds insulation waterproofing and structural support.

One would be to remove the siding wrap the house and then reside it. I just finished removing some vinyl siding installed in 1987. I ve opened up houses built less than 5 years previous and the tyvek was shreaded like old newspaper. Several areas where the tyvek had shrunk and torn mainly at window corners.

What type of wood is used under siding. I ll stick with tried and true felt paper.