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INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT

ACOUSTICAL SEALANT CHOICES
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & MOLD

BATHROOM VENTILATION
BASEMENT LEAKS, INSPECT FOR
BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER
BASEMENT HEAT LOSS
BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE
BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION
BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION
BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING
BLOWN-IN INSULATION
BRICK LINED WALLS
BRICK VENEER WALL AIR LEAKS
BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged
BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES
BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION?
BUILDING NOISE DIAGNOSIS & CURE

CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION
CATHEDRAL CEILING VENTILATION

CRAWL SPACES
  CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES
  CRAWL SPACE GROUND COVERS
  CRAWL SPACE INSULATION RETROFIT
  CRAWL SPACE SAFETY ADVICE
  CRAWL SPACE VAPOR BARRIER
  CRAWLSPACE MOLD ADVICE
  MOLD CLEANUP by MEDIA BLASTING
  MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
  SUMP PUMPS
CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS

DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS
DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE

ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY
EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES

FIBERGLASS INSULATION
FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD

FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS
FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE
FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING
FRENCH DRAINS
FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION
FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB

GREEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CODES GUIDES
GREENHOUSE DESIGN for SOLAR HEATING
GREENHOUSE / SUNSPACE GLARE

HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS
HEAT LOSS RATE CALCULATIONS
HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS
HEAT LOSS INDICATORS
HEAT LOSS PREVENTION PRIORITIES
HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION
HOT ROOF DESIGNS: Un-Vented Roof Solutions
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HOUSE DOCTOR, how-to be
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET

ICE DAM PREVENTION

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS

INSULATION CHOICES
Insulation Air & Heat Leaks
INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE
INSULATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM
INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT
INSULATION MOLD
INSULATION R-Values & Properties

ICE DAM PREVENTION
INSECT INFESTATION / DAMAGE
INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT

LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
LIGHT, GUIDE to FORENSIC USE
LOG HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY
LOG HOME GUIDE

MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD in FOAM INSULATION, RESISTANCE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets
MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS
MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD
MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE

Nanomaterials Hazards
NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE
NOISE CONTROL for HEATING SYSTEMS
NOISE CONTROL for FLOORS
NOISE CONTROL for PLUMBING
NOISE CONTROL for ROOFS

ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE

PASCAL CALCULATIONS

RADIANT BARRIERS
ROT RESISTANT LUMBER
ROT, TIMBER FRAME
ROT, TIMBER ASSESSMENT

SOUND CONTROL in buildings
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS

THERMAL MASS in buildings
THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS

VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in buildings
  ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE
  BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER
  CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
  CRAWL SPACE VAPOR BARRIER
  DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
  DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE
  FELT 15# ROOFING, as HOUSEWRAP/VAPOR BARRIER
  HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS
  HOUSEWRAP PRODUCT CHOICES
  HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES
  HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
  MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
  RAIN SPLASH-UP SIDING DAMAGE
  VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS
  VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in buildings
  VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP
  VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING
  HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
  HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS
  HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES
  HOUSEWRAP PRODUCT CHOICES
  RAIN SPLASH-UP SIDING DAMAGE
  WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR
  WOOD SIDING FLASHING DETAILS

VENTILATION in BUILDINGS

WALL FINISHES INTERIOR
WALL CONSTRUCTION BARRIER vs CAVITY
WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING
WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS
WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING
WIND WASHING INSULATION At EAVES
WINDOWS & DOORS
WINTERIZE A BUILDING
WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces StoveS

ZONE DAMPERS
ZONE VALVES

More Information

Typar house wrap example (C) Daniel FriedmanTyvek™ Installation at Building Sills, Soles, Top Plates
     

  • HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES - Air seal strategies using Tyvek™ and similar housewrap products to save building energy costs for heating or cooling
    • Estimates of before and after building air leaks and air changes per hour for older homes
    • Estimates of cost savings from sealing air leaks
    • Other indoor air quality problems that may occur when air leaks are sealed
    • Table shows relative importance of various building air leaks
  • Questions & Answers about best details for installing housewrap at building sills, soles, and top plates
  • Solar Age Magazine Articles on Renewable Energy, Energy Savings, Construction Practices
  • References

Click to Show or Hide Related Topics

  • EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES - home
  • ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE
  • BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER
  • BRICK WALL WEEP HOLES
  • CAULKS & SEALANTS, EXTERIOR
  • CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
  • CRAWL SPACE VAPOR BARRIER
  • DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
  • DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT
  • FELT 15# ROOFING as HOUSEWRAP
  • FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK
  • FLASHING ROOF WALL DETAILS
  • FLASHING ROOF-WALL SNAFU
  • FLASHING SIDING DETAILS
  • FLASHING WALL DETAILS
  • HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
  • HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
  • HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS
  • HOUSEWRAP PRODUCT CHOICES
  • HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES
  • HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
  • HOUSEWRAP / SHEATHING WRAP - home
  • HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS
  • HOUSEWRAP PRODUCT CHOICES
  • HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES
  • MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS - home
  • RAIN SPLASH-UP SIDING DAMAGE
  • SIDING TYPES, INSTALLATION, DEFECTS
  • STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS
  • STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER
  • STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION
  • STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION
  • VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING BAND JOISTS
  • VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION - home
  • VAPOR BARRIERS, VINYL SIDING
  • VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING
  • VINYL SIDING - home
  • VINYL SIDING INSTALLATION
  • WOOD SHINGLE INSTALLATION
  • WOOD SIDING INSTALLATION
  • WOOD SIDING FLASHING DETAILS
  • WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Housewrap or sheathing wrap (such as Tyvek™) installation details: Here using a Q&A format we discuss basic concepts & strategies for installing/using Tyvek™ air barrier on buildings and sealing against air leaks. Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles including material reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Our page-top photo shows Typar™ house wrap during installation on a new home.

Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.

Advice for Installing Tyvek™ Housewrap on buildings

Housewrap installation (C) D FriedmanReaders of this article should be sure to see VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS. See HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS and HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS. Also see VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in buildings. Readers can review concepts at WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING and AIR SEALING STRATEGIES.

Readers should also be sure to see AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION and also AIR BYPASS LEAKS, and be sure to read ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE. See BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION and see HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS for more sophisticated and accurate methods of detecting points of un-wanted building heat loss or heat gain. At THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS we describe other visual clues that can help spot points of significant air (and heat) leakage in buildings. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

The question-and-answer article about strategies for sealing air infiltration leaks on buildings (or air exfiltration leaks, i.e. heat loss), is provided in full-text below, and discusses steps to take to be sure that the energy retrofit cure is not worse than the disease, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Should I Install Tyvek at Sill, Sole, & Top Plates & Do I need to Caulk

Housewrap installation (C) D FriedmanQuestion:

If a continuous air/vapor barrier is used on the interior of the framing of a house, and DuPont Tyvek™ is used on the outside, is it necessary to caulk at sill, sole, and top plates, headers, and joists? -- John L. Matthews

Answer:

In tests conducted by the NAHB Research Foundation, a standard 1976 house - 2x4 walls, kraft-paper vapor barrier, asphalt-impregnated sheathing - had a 35-percent reduction in air leakage under pressure after being retrofitted with Tyvek™.

The Tyvek was lapped at seams and caulked at windows and foundation. The reduction in air leakage was from 8.6 to 5.6 air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 Pascals (of pressure).

Ten air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 Pascals equals roughly 0.5 natural ACH in a building.

According to NAHB researchers, later tests on tighter homes showed smaller reductions, but even "quick and dirty" installations of Tyvek showed some reduction in air leakage rates. In a test by Gulf State Utilities of Beaumont, Texas, Tyvek did about the same as caulking with expanding polyurethane foam insulation, but both together did significantly better than either alone.

DuPont recommends that Tyvek be lapped at seams and caulked at the foundation. It is also advisable to lap the Tyvek over the top plate and caulk around windows.

If these Tyvek installation guidelines are followed (for this and presumably most other Housewrap brands), we suspect that you could be less finicky with other sealing efforts. Many builders, though, appreciate the redundancy of an extra line of air leak defense won at a modest cost through the use of this product.

Names of compatible adhesives and other information about Tyvek are available from DuPont at 800-448-9835.

Original Article

The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below was preceded by an expanded/updated online version of this article.

  • Tyvek Technique Q&A on - PDF version, Use your browser's back button to return to this page


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

  • Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world."
  • Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
    Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
  • "Air Sealing Strategies", US Department of Energy
  • Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume I, the Passive Solar Handbook Introduction to Passive Solar Concepts, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v1.pdf
  • Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume II, the Passive Solar Handbook Comprehensive Planning Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v2.pdf [This is a large PDF file that can take a while to load]
  • Passive Solar Handbook Volume III, the Passive Solar Handbook Programming Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v3.pdf
  • The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083 is available at Amazon.com and via the InspectAPedia Bookstore
  • "Passive Solar Home Design", U.S. Department of Energy, describes using a home's windows, walls, and floors to collect and store solar energy for winter heating and also rejecting solar heat in warm weather.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
  • Home Reference Book - Carson DunlopThe Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

    Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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