If you’ve ever seen a partially constructed house before, then you’ve probably also seen house wrap (aka housewrap, or home wrap). It usually has the manufacturer’s name printed all over it – Tyvek is a popular brand – and it’s visible when the house already has sheathing (i.e. the plywood which forms its exterior) but has not yet received siding.
House wrap doesn’t look very substantial. It’s often less than 1/100″ thick! That makes some people wonder whether such an apparently flimsy material is actually important enough to merit inclusion in a new construction or remodeling project. We appreciate their reasoning, but here’s the simple fact: house wrap is absolutely necessary. Choosing a
What Is House Wrap?
Though it may look like a sheet of conventional plastic, house wrap is actually a high-tech synthetic material: spun-bonded olefin, manufactured by flattening and heating high-density polyethylene fibers until they form a continuous layer.
We won’t bore you to tears with a long-winded thesis on the chemical properties of polyethylene. We’ll just identify its most important characteristic: it is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. And that’s why it’s so important.
What Does House Wrap Do?
Wood. Vinyl. Brick. Stucco. It doesn’t matter what the outermost layer of your home’s exterior is made of. Science has yet to invent a type of residential siding that is completely impervious to water infiltration. And even if it did, gradual degradation would inevitably form little cracks and fissures which let water infiltrate the underlying sheathing, insulation and drywall.
House wrap is also known as a water-resistive barrier (WRB). Water may seep through the siding – but so long as it is immediately greeted by a WRB, it won’t be able to progress any further.
What Happens Without House Wrap?
You don’t want to know. But we’ll tell you anyway.
As previously mentioned, house wrap prevents water from saturating the layers of the exterior wall beneath the siding. That deprives mold of the moisture it needs for feeding and breeding, thus preventing the horrible fungus from discoloring interior walls and releasing irritating spores into the living space. House wrap also keeps the insulation dry, thus preserving its ability to … well, insulate! Wet insulation also poses a fire hazard if it comes into contact with electrical wiring.
Although house wrap’s primary function is to serve as a WRB, it also repels wind. That helps keep the home more energy efficient, which only increases house wrap’s value as natural gas prices continue to rise.
Is House Wrap Really Necessary?
Technically not – but only if you don’t mind living in a cold, moldy home filled with fire hazards.
If you would rather live in a cozy, mold-free and safe home, then you can count yourself as a huge fan of house wrap. And if you’re also fortunate enough to live in the greater St Cloud, Little Falls, Alexandria or Brainerd, MN area, then you’ve found just the contractor to install it for you. Whether you need expert siding installation in Brainerd or reliable St. Cloud siding services, our team has you covered. Contact Exterior Pro today for a free estimate on all your residential and commercial siding needs!