How To Wrap House Before Siding

Install the house wrap between the double top wall plates.

How to wrap house before siding.

House wrap should be installed after your old siding has been removed. Apply all layers of wrap shingle style where the top layers of a surface overlap the bottom layers. In fact many builders disagree on the effectiveness of house wraps altogether and while some builders will only install 15 pound asphalt saturated felt paper underneath exterior siding others swear by plastic fabric house wraps such as typar or tyvek. You will need to start at one of the bottom corners of the house.

Apply house wrap up the gables before installing exterior trim even if the attic is not conditioned. Extend house wrap below the mudsill for water management but also for air sealing. Put the bottom corner of the house wrap about 2 inches past the corner in both directions. Overlap vertical seams 6 12 inches.

House wrap is not just for air sealing the insulated parts of the house it is mainly for water management. However if you re interested a residing project offers the perfect time to examine your home s weather barrier and exterior insulation and improve it if need be. Overlap horizontal seams 6 inches upper layer over lower layer. Then use your staple gun or hammer stapler to tack the corner of the material in place.

For the easiest work plan to go from left to right. If the gable isn t covered water can get to the framing and even behind the house wrap below. In the end the decision to install house wrap under your siding is a personal one that you should make after discussing it with your contractor. It is acceptable to install barricade building wrap over wood based foam insulation or fiberboard sheathing and exterior gypsum board.

Extend the house wrap over the footing top at least 2 inches. Install a drainage provision at the bottom of the external siding material if recommended. Smaller holes or tears can be taped but your house wrap should be going over a solid surface in all areas. Along the top of the window or door create a top flap.

Overlap the layers shingle style as you go up the wall like roofing shingles. Inspect your exterior sheathing prior to installing the house wrap all holes in your sheathing should be patched with new sheathing. I have spent the last 7 months building my dream house and i read in my latest fh that when cedar siding is applied over housewrap that water will leach tannins from the cedar and clog the pores of the housewrap causing the siding paint to fail.