[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: And the debate rages on to add anair barrier or not to air barrier!

[Alan Abrams]

<I vote for the Tyvek.  OK, if you do get water penetration, without the
fabric,  then what?  Tyvek is a continuous drainage plane, nails or no.  It
is cheap, and if you need it, you need it.  If you don't, it is an
additional measure against infiltration.  SOlve indoor air problems with
ventilation and energy recovery ventilators, not by making a crappy wall,
that's my 2c.  >


Having used tyvek on every frame project I've built for at least 20 years
without getting sued (yet) (though not to suggest that failure to get sued
is a particularly green attribute in and of itself), I concur with LL.  And
note as well that the IRC now admonishes us to use a continuously "shingle
lapped" drainage plane.  We add the flourish of taping all joints, and
installing furring strips over the tyvek to hold the siding off its surface,
as it is suggested that saturation compromises tyvek's permeability--if not
the drainage plane's capacity to drain.  As far as barriers against
infiltration, a little redundancy in the real world of building is often a
good thing; this from one who uses foam in the framing cavities, and still
tapes his tyvek.

2 more cents,

Alan Abrams, AIBD
Abrams Design Build
a sustainable approach to beautiful space
alan at abramsdesignbuild.com
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