Fisette conducted independent testing of housewrap not to establish quantifiable data that mimicked real-world performance, but rather to subject the products to a set of simple laboratory conditions to see how they compared. For more on Fisette’s testing, see www. umass. edu/bmatwt/publications.
According to Fisette’s research, the best housewraps (those that resist water infiltration and also permit water vapor to evaporate) include Tyvek HomeWrap, R-Wrap by Berry Plastics™ Corporation, Typar® (manufactured in 2003 or later), and—believe it or not—traditional #15 felt paper (see the sidebar on p. 75).
I prefer Tyvek, which scored well for resisting water penetration in the Massachusetts study while also having one of the industry’s highest perm ratings for water- vapor diffusion. Although #15 felt paper costs less and scores well in all categories,
I like housewrap products because the variety of sizes available (3-ft. to 10-ft. widths) really speeds up the installation process.
Also, the compatible sealing tapes and accessories make housewrap a superior air barrier compared to felt paper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
