Use House Wrap To Protect Your Home

Just like you put on a windbreaker or a raincoat when going out in bad weather

, you should not build your new house without protecting it against moisture and air infiltration.

House wrap and similar weatherization products are not yet a decade old since it came into the mainstream market, but they have become well known among contractors and builders and are being put to greater use. House wrap is valued by builders and home owners for its energy saving qualities as well as insulating value which saves money on cooling and heating bills.

For decades, weather resistant barriers which were fixed over exterior sheathing have been in use in the construction of homes. Traditionally, something called building paper, which was a sheet of paper or felt with asphalt coating, was used for the purpose of protecting the house from water penetration from outside, and it is still being widely used. In recent years, there have been various developments in building materials, leading to the introduction of versatile synthetic materials like house wrap. These versatile materials protect the house from water penetration from the outside and also resist air infiltration, and at the same time, allow moisture to escape from inside the house.

The average cost of house wrap, around 25 cents per sq foot, will pay for itself in the form of energy savings in a couple of years.

House wrap works as a weather barrier in two ways. It minimizes air flow in and out of the house, and stops liquid water and functions as a drainage plane. House wrap has the unique characteristic of blocking liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through it. So while humid and moist air escapes from the interior of the house, liquid water in the form of rain cannot enter it.

Most exterior finishes allow some water to penetrate; if the water goes on soaking the frames and wall sheathing, problems like mold growth and dry rot can occur. House wrap prevents water passing through the siding and facilitates its draining away from the main structure.

In climates with a lot of humidity and heavy rainfall, house wrap should be used to protect the framing from water damage. Use of house wrap may not be so critical in dryer climates where the materials can get adequately dry, but house wrap also helps in the insulation process of the house, as it prevents air from moving through the wall cavities. Properly installed house wrap blocks the transfer of air through the framed walls and reduces cooling or heating loads, causes moisture and vapor to escape and not condense in the cavities of the walls, and sheds the water that can get behind the wall's exterior finish to settle in the wall's framing, and cause future problems.

Use House Wrap To Protect Your Home

By: Marty Lang

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