DuPont Tyvek Common Questions (FAQ)

The cost of synthetic roof underlayment will vary based on the type of roofing that is installed. For example, slate and tile roofing requires a thicker underlayment.

Yes, DuPont Tyvek can be installed over old house wrap as long as the existing house wrap is Tyvek.

Yes, Tyvek is made with unique material science to keep air and bulk water out while allowing moisture vapor inside walls to escape.

The house needs some airflow to avoid moisture build-up within the home. The manufacturer recommends only taping the Tyvek HomeWrap seams.

Tyvek weather barriers and related products, like sealants and flashing tape, are used to help create physical separation between the interior and exterior of homes and commercial buildings. It can reduce air and water infiltration to help prevent drafts and water damage, but it is also vapor permeable. It provides protection against water damage, improved energy efficiency, increased comfort, and reduced building maintenance. Find installation instructions for each wrap in the following pdfs:

• Tyvek Protec (pdf)
• Tyvek CommercialWrap (pdf) and Tyvek CommercialWrap Residing Installation (pdf)
• Tyvek StuccoWrap (pdf)
• Tyvek HomeWrap and DrainWrap (pdf)

Yes, Dupont Tyvek DrainWrap can be used under cedar siding. It is recommended that the cedar siding be installed per manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations by wood siding associations, such as the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, including priming all surfaces including the back and ends before installing. Additionally, the use of furring strips will help promote drainage of any incidental water that may penetrate the cedar cladding.

Yes, the DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap should be overlaid from 6" to 12" and should be seamed up with 3" tape. Due to the ridge, the 3" Tyvek tape works best. Also, make sure that the DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap is installed similar to shingles on a roof so that the water will not run behind the bottom layer.

The main difference is that Tyvek StuccoWrap was released first and then later renamed to DrainWrap in order to widen the market. The most important thing to know about these products is that the warranty is only valid if you use 3" tape and make sure the grooves are vertical.

Yes, it can be used under any facade including brick, stucco, vinyl, cedar siding, and stone. Proper installation under each facade is essential to ensure DuPont Tyvek provides the maximum level of air infiltration resistance and bulk water holdout.

Black paper or building paper was not designed as an air retarder like DuPont Tyvek. Unlike DuPont Tyvek, building paper can absorb water. Building paper tears easier than DuPont Tyvek and can degrade over time when under continual exposure to water. Building papers are less permeable to moisture vapor transfer than Tyvek increasing the potential moisture vapor trapped inside the wall could cause mold and mildew and rot.

No, DuPont Tyvek is not a vapor barrier. It is breathable, allowing moisture vapor to pass through it.

DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap and Tyvek Tape have the logo printed on them.

The unique nonwoven structure of Tyvek HomeWrap makes it breathable, allowing moisture vapor to pass through. This helps to promote drying in wall systems, to help prevent mold and water damage. In addition, Tyvek HomeWrap stops air movement through the walls, helping insulation perform closer to its full R-value, to provide a more energy-efficient home.

Taping the seams with DuPont Tyvek Tape gives you the best Tyvek to Tyvek adhesion, optimal protection against air and bulk water penetration, and extra durability protection during the building's construction phase.

The installed R-value of insulation is only realized IF the air within the wall cavity stays still and dry. An average 8-mph wind can easily penetrate cracks and crevices even in new homes. You could be losing up to 30 percent of the performance of your insulation. DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap is designed to help block air from getting inside walls. Properly installed it helps keep drafts out and protects your insulation's rated R-value. And, just like air gets in, so can water and moisture. DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap gives you the added benefit of helping to protect your walls from water and moisture.

Tyvek DrainVent is a (patent-pending) three-dimensional honeycomb-textured drainage mat with attached heavy-duty filter fabric that creates a space for water drainage and air movement behind cladding. It can be installed behind exterior claddings such as stucco, stone veneer, brick, wood and fiber cement lap siding, or metal panel systems. Tyvek Rainscreen is easy to install with 1/2" staples or nails.

Yes. It is perfectly acceptable to use Tyvek StuccoWrap, Tyvek DrainWrap or Tyvek CommercialWrap under brick. Whether using DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap, Tyvek CommercialWrap or DuPont Tyvek StuccoWrap under brick it is important to follow brick manufacturer's guidelines regarding the use of an air space between the brick veneer and sheathing. Typically this space is 1"-2" and will act as a drainage plane if incidental moisture were to penetrate the brick.

Tyvek HomeWrap, Tyvek DrainWrap and Tyvek StuccoWrap should be covered within 120 days (4 months). Tyvek CommercialWrap should be covered within 270 days (9 months). The importance is covering DuPont Tyvek is based on the UV exposure. Follow the DuPont Tyvek installation instructions included with the home weatherization product.

Using a vapor barrier depends on how the rest of the wall system is built and the climate the wall is in. If the majority of the year is spent heating the home where the inside temperature is greater than the outside, it is generally good to use a vapor retarder behind the interior drywall. In hot humid climates, vapor barriers should not be used.

DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap can be used either over or under sheathing. When DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap is used under sheathing, it functions only as an air barrier and does not protect the sheathing as a secondary water barrier. DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap has been used directly over studs where there is no sheathing, although the use of sheathing is a highly recommended building practice.

Tyvek DrainWrap offers the unique combination of a drainage system and a weather-resistant barrier in a single product and promotes outstanding bulk water drainage behind siding such as primed cedar by channeling moisture safely to the outside.

Tyvek HomeWrap, Tyvek StuccoWrap, Tyvek DrainWrap, and Tyvek CommercialWrap are equally effective in both directions. However, DuPont Tyvek StuccoWrap and Tyvek DrainWrap has a specially engineered surface that should be placed with the grooves in a vertical direction.

DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap can be installed using a variety of fasteners, which will depend on the application. If you are applying DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap to wood, insulated sheathing board or exterior gypsum board, then use:

• Dupont Tyvek Wrap Cap nails
• Dupont Tyvek Wrap Cap screws
• DuPont Tyvek Wrap Cap staples or other cap staples for the Stinger Cap Stapler or Stinger Autofeed Cap Stapler
• Other manufacturer’ equivalent 1” cap screws, cap nails and/or cap staples (must have a min. ⅝” leg length)
• Other manufacturers equivalent fasteners

For steel frame construction, use DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap Wrap Cap Screws. *View the DuPont Tyvek Water-Resistive and Air Barriers Residing Installation Guide (pdf) for more information.

DuPont Tyvek CommercialWrap is a building wrap for use behind stucco, stone, marble, metal panels, brick, granite and EIFS on large commercial applications. It establishes a highly efficient building envelope system by controlling air leakage, preventing water infiltration and allowing moisture to escape.

For a typical two-story, 2500 square foot house, the general rule of thumb is two rolls of DuPont Tyvek size 9' x 150' should be adequate to wrap the house. However, this estimate may vary slightly depending on the house elevation.

Many other wraps are perforated, which means in order for them to breathe, the manufacturer has punched holes in them, resulting in a reduction of air and water holdout effectiveness. DuPont Tyvek is a non-perforated, nonwoven product with microscopic pores that are so small that air and bulk water have a difficult time passing through. However, since DuPont Tyvek is breathable, moisture vapor can easily escape from the wall.

No, it is not critical to remove building paper prior to installing Tyvek. However, it is necessary to carefully inspect for damaged areas that may not be clearly visible under building paper. Since building paper does not have the same breathability characteristics of DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap, the wall may lose some of its ability to dissipate moisture to the outside if the paper is left on the wall.

Tyvek weather-resistive barriers have not been tested or approved as a flashing material. DuPont introduced the DuPont Flashing System that provides comprehensive protection from water leaks. It is designed to help direct water to the building exterior instead of trapping it inside the wall system and causing water damage.

With more energy-efficient construction, "building tight; ventilating right" is the best practice. Mechanical ventilation is more important with today's sophisticated energy-saving home features. However, blower door testing on homes wrapped with DuPont Tyvek show natural air exchange rates per hour that are well within acceptable guidelines per ASHRAE Standard 62.