Hello
We are building in the upper peninsula of Michigan, directly on the shore of Lake Superior with a northwestern exposure – winds up to 65mph are not unheard of during winter storms. We have the framing and sheathing complete but it looks like we are not going to be able to fully enclose the house with roofing and siding before the weather chases us out of here (we are on a fragile seasonal road as well).
My questions is: what would be anybodies best recommendation for wrapping the house for the winter, and specifically any advice for fastening it to brave the winds. Tyvek is certainly the cheapest solution but would tar paper be worth the $400 extra dollars? (We had trouble with leaking water and MOLD! into the foundation when we sealed up for the winter last year and everyone one involved wants to go the most conservative route possible this year – especially since we’ve installed really beautiful heavy timbers and other wood finishes). The generally objective is no water, no mold.
Thank you in advance!!!! heather
Replies
Plain tar paper will not hold up reliably in a strong wind. For the siding, standard Tyvek will withstand the wind, if properly secured, but will weather badly after several months of exposure.
Some of the other housewraps are heavier and better suited to long-term exposure, though anything you use needs to be well-secured. This means using plastic cap nails, not just staples, and tacking on vertical strips of lath every 4-6 feet.
For roofing I think your best option would be cheap rolled roofing, if you can't get regular shingles down. It would probably be wise to nail down the front edge every few feet, then dab roofing cement over the nails.
Neither tarppaper nor Tyvek will stand up to a whole winter of that.
Well nailed and battened Typar might, but I'd plan to be re covering it in the spring again.
Greengaurd is some pretty tough wrap, but I'm sure even it would be challenged by a whole winter of high wind.
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I agree with you on the Typar, I put a second story on my buddys house and the Typar I put on it lasted over a year before he got to putting siding on it.
With the seams taped, cap nails or cap staples and batten strips it might make it through the winter.
Matt
One of the big IFs would be the openings. If no windows and doors in for the winter, they'd need plywood screwed over them or the puffing and puckering would make it sail right out in the wind.
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If the windows are in, they need to be flashed and the wrap needs to have battens around the opening.
Matt
No windows or doors will be installed this year. They all have been sheathed over and we will cut them out next year so that is taken care of.
As far as building paper goes - it looks like it is between Typar and one of the Green Guard wraps (there are 3-4 to choose from). I read the Fine Homebuilding pdf on the myriad of choices for building wraps but feel more inclined to use a personal recommendation than trying to choose from the list of similar products. I did speak to the technical guy at the GreenGuard Company and he says there is a new product theoretically available that offers the UV resistance and strength of the Green Guard Classic but without any perforations – it is called Green Guard MAX. My local dealer has never heard of it but if I can find anyone to buy it from at a compariable cost I may go with that – seeing as you found it to be a fairly tough wrap. Otherwise, I guess will just go with the Typar. Welcoming any more recommendations or experienced suggestions………? – otherwise thanks for the input! - heather
Another option is to go with Tyvek and just plan on tearing it off and replacing it in the spring. It will last the winter, it just won't be something you'd want to keep after that.I'm not sure what the cheapest option would be.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Not sure if anyone has suggested this yet but how about TWO layers of Tyvek. Each layer stapled separately so that in the spring the top, UV-degraded layer, can simply be ripped off to expose the good, protected layer beneath.
That would do nothing to deal with the problems that come from leaving it thru a windy winter.The puffing and popping from wind sucking at it tears it around the staples. so it would do some damage to the under layer also, and then when you peeled the outer ply, there would be several holes in the under from the upper's staples.If spending the time and money to do it twice is the plan, then the second time is better done next year, just before windows and siding.
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>> The puffing and popping from wind sucking at it tears it around the staples. so it would do some damage to the under layer also, and then when you peeled the outer ply, there would be several holes in the under from the upper's staples.
Indeed.
Actually I may run out of time on my project and am considering biting the bullet and placing 1/4" OSB over my furring strip and over window and door openings. I would just rip it all down in the spring. My only hesitation is that I'll have every neighbour asking why I built an windowless OSB box off the back of my house! :)
I wrapped my house in Tyvek last October and it lasted through the winter just fine. The key is wrapping it tightly and fastening any loose ends so the wind can't work them loose.
I used a hammer stapler and liberally stapled the wall and also used red head nails around each window/door and on both faces at the corners and along the top and bottom. (YMMV, in Idaho it is a very dry climate so the small holes from the staples are not an issue here. I don't remember where your building, perhaps it would be of greater concern)
My house sits exposed in the middle of 160 acres in high mountain Idaho valley (=lots of wind/weather) and it survived perfect! In fact, the guys who installed the siding this summer told me they had never seen a house wrapped so perfectly before.
The literature that I had read, says something like 180 days for UV exposure, and I figured that if needed i would rewrap before siding (your only talking about a few hundred dollars) if necessary.
Edited 10/15/2007 11:14 am by CRF
Yeah, the main thing with any wrap is to keep it from flapping. Apply it taut, use cap-head nails or staples, tape all seams, and use lath in areas that seem especially susceptable to the wind.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
I'm in Ontario, Canada. Probably similar weather although a bit wetter. Good to know about the 180 days of UV (which is probably worst case assuming summer sun).
As it turns out, I've been able to work O/T using lots of coffee in lieu of a helper and I'm about 5 days away from installing siding. Only have 300 sq ft to do with only 3 openings so I think I'll make it!
You are going to make Gunner jealous with that pic. Tho he may use it as a en example of how it is supposed to be done.
View Image
It would probably work to install the first layer, put lath on it, and then tack the second to the lath. There would be some wear from the two layers beating together, but not much.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
so when you tear that lathe back off, what are you going to do about the hundreds of holes in the first ply of Tyvek left by the nails that held the lathe on?
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Tape.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
hthr, I don't know how you feel about wrapping the whole place in plastic but you may check out Tu-Tuff and Sto-Cote Industies among others. They have a lot of PVC with fiber threads in it that are used for long term weather protection . Extremely tough stuff.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Yeah, we thought about using a 15mil plastic call Stego wrap. Bright yellow and incredible durable - spent the last full out in the sun without a scratch so to speak. We are really pleased with it.
However in this case, i think we are better off using a breathable wrap - especially as we had some mold in the floor deck last year, we want to keep as much air circulation as possible. Thanks for the thought.
The toughest stuff is probably that white woven fabric you see sometimes used for wrapping lumber shipments, et al. Probably more expensive than Tyvek, and not as waterproof, but more wind and abrasion resistant.Don't know what it's called or where you'd get it, though.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Reading Dan's post, I see you said roofing too.
I have high confidence in the RooftopgaurdII. When nailed per their specs with plasti-cap nails, they warrant it to stay on for something like three months in anything short of a full hurricane.
And I believe it.
Darn tuff stuff it is. We had some on a re-roof last winter that was just tacked on so-so for overnight. We got winds of sixty plus that night that took some trees down. This place was on a ridge at the peak of the island and a few limbs got twisted out of big old pines right there. But that RTG II stayed right in place and no leaks.
I have had it on another job with maybe half or fewer as many nails as they recommended, and it was five months before we got it shingled. Had a couple of noreasters meantime and no problem with the material. I would trust it far more than I'd trust 90# roll roofing.
Actually, it would keep the water out of the walls too, but the perm rating is too low to leave it on later.
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
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If you can afford it, and think you will use it again, get one of these:
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/spotnails/TCS6832/
If you are on a budget then get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/NATIONAL-136400-STINGER-CH38-HAMMER/dp/B000SSP20M/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-0597126-9168806?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1192139796&sr=1-1
Have you ever used one of those hand staple button cappers? They have them on display at my building supply, however I wondered if the staples were really long enough to hold up well.
No I havent. But I would think you could bring it back if you didnt like it.
Wrap the walls with Ice and Water shield?
Has anyong tried this?
fka (formerly known as) blue