Don’t worry; we haven’t suspended our homebuilding work to look through the L. L. Bean® catalog. But what you already know about sweaters, windbreakers, and raincoats will help you understand the way sealing, insulating, and moisture-protection treatments work together in a house.
Start with a sweater and a windbreaker—just what you need to wear on a cold, windy day. A house exposed to frigid temperatures and icy winds also needs a sweater and a windbreaker. Insulation, exterior siding, and housewrap provide this protection. In fact, housewraps like Tyvek and Typar act like a Gore-Tex® raincoat, blocking wind and water while still allowing vapor to pass through. This helps prevent moisture buildup, both in our clothing and inside the walls of a house.
As we work through the steps ahead, you’ll see that there are different sealing, insulating, and ventilation tasks that need to be done at different stages of the construction process. Pay attention to the tasks associated with each phase
of construction and your house will repay you with maximum levels of comfort, longevity, and energy efficiency.
