Why Is Tyvek Used Under Vinyl Siding

They were built in the 1950s and 60s the felt was in perfect condition.

Why is tyvek used under vinyl siding. On all walls and all exposure conditions there were large areas of the tyvek which were deteriorated to the point of tissue paper. It adds insulation waterproofing and structural support. This explains why the house does not retain heat. The wood that goes under residential siding exterior sheathing performs several functions.

What type of wood is used under siding. I saw a new house with felt paper under the siding rather than tyvek. One would be to remove the siding wrap the house and then reside it. On the other hand brick stucco and other masonry based sidings can be used with house wrap but your builder will need to use the right type.

It seems that we have two options. Builder omits house wrap under siding. Our house was built about seven years ago. I ve opened up houses built less than 5 years previous and the tyvek was shreaded like old newspaper.

To sum it up house wrap is a lightweight paper like material that is most often used to completely cover the house directly on top of the sheathing and behind the vinyl siding. I want to replace the tar paper but i can t find it at homedepot or lowes. I just finished removing some vinyl siding installed in 1987. Tyvek was used underneath very poorly installed.

Several areas where the tyvek had shrunk and torn mainly at window corners. 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. By doing so however you miss out on the opportunity to add add energy savings to the project. I ll stick with tried and true felt paper.

During a recent repair to our siding we found that the house had no building wrap tyvek under the siding. Its primary purpose is to prevent air and water leaks that may have seeped past the vinyl exterior. Vinyl siding can be installed directly over wall sheathing wood siding or stucco. Use tyvek over building felt under siding.

I have seen literally hundreds of houses stripped of asbestos siding that had 15 felt under it. That s what the tyvek is for.