House Wrap
The Wall’s Real Raincoat
Siding sheds most water; wrap handles the rest — the wind-driven, the capillary, the condensed — while letting the wall breathe outward. Invisible after day two, decisive for decades.
A Drainage Plane With A Breathing Permit
Every siding leaks a little — laps, joints, fastener holes, wind pressure. Wrap is the drainage plane that catches that water and sheds it down and out, while its vapor-permeable membrane lets moisture inside the wall dry toward daylight instead of feeding the problems we get called about later. It only works installed as a system: shingled laps, taped seams, and flashing integrated in the right order at every opening.
Order Of Operations Is The Whole Craft
Wrap under the window flange or over it, tape before flashing or after — get the sequence wrong at one opening and gravity spends years exploiting it. Our installations and replacements rebuild the wrap layer as non-negotiable scope, with sill pans and integrated flashing at every opening — because it’s the layer nobody can inspect after, which is exactly why we photograph it before the siding hides our work.
Siding Questions, Answered Honest
My house has old felt or no wrap — is that a crisis?
Not a crisis — a scheduled correction. It gets rebuilt to modern standard whenever siding comes off, which is a core argument for full replacement over endless patching.
Is more expensive wrap worth it?
Drainable and premium wraps earn their cost behind absorptive sidings and in exposure-heavy walls; standard quality wrap installed perfectly beats premium wrap installed sloppy every time.
Can wrap fix a wall that already has moisture problems?
Wrap manages future water; existing wet walls need diagnosis first — that is moisture-inspection work, and we will say so rather than wrap over a mystery.
Is house wrap really necessary under siding?
Yes — every siding leaks a little, and the wrap is the drainage plane that catches and sheds it while letting the wall dry outward. Code agrees.
Which is better, Tyvek or other house wraps?
Brand matters less than installation — laps, tape and flashing sequence decide performance. Premium drainable wraps earn their cost behind absorptive claddings.
Can house wrap get wet before siding goes on?
It’s designed to weather briefly exposed — but UV limits are real, which is why wrap-then-side scheduling matters and months-bare walls are a flag.
Is house wrap the same as a vapor barrier?
No — wrap resists liquid water while passing vapor; interior vapor barriers do the opposite job. Confusing them is how walls get built to trap moisture.
Does house wrap go over or under window flanges?
Sequenced with the flashing so water always laps onto, never behind — the order varies by assembly, and getting it wrong at one window funds years of leaks.
Behind The Siding
The hidden-layer library.
Wondering What’s Behind Your Walls?
Free consult — the invisible layer, explained and quoted visible.