House wrap without words on it????

[maradcliff]

A neighbor wants to build on to his house. He is poor and said he will build it in phases. Last year he had the foundation poured. This year his plan is to frame it before winter, put on the roofing, and cover the sides with plywood, followed with house wrap. He plans to leave the house wrap exposed until next year, since he cant afford the siding. He complained that all house wrap has huge words on it, like Tyvek. He said taht really looks ugly and wants to know if they sell plain house wrap without advertising on it. I told him I never saw it, but I never spent time shopping for it. Do they make it plain white (or another color)?

Mark

[Phisherman]

He could paint over the house wrap. Most paint stores and departments have returned paint for cheap, or there are yard sales. Words or no words, the wrap is no beauty. Maybe you should plant a tall hedge to block out the view?

[Kurt Ullman]

Another option might be to buy it now when he has the money but store it in the addition until he has the money next year for the siding. I would be curious as to whether that might not be the best way to go anyway. Would having the wrap up and exposed to the elements for a full winter do damage to it? I would also be concerned about wind damage, etc., making it necessary to redo it in the spring anyway. Obviously the plywood isn't exactly a thing of beauty either. (g).

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Most buildings with long term Tyvek exposure seem to have at least some missing or flapping sections. OTOH, I'd rather have the minimal protection of it than exposing plywood to the elements for a long time. I don't think painting is a good option as the paint will seal it and remove the properties it was designed to have.

[Cliff Hartle]

He could install it backwards. I think that all house wrap has a max exposure time before it will start to breakdown from UV probably 90 days or so.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The membrane is supposed to be breathable and paint would destroy that property. Painting over the plywood or OSB may be a better option.

[Abe]

The only brand name house wrap that I know of availablw without a logo is Plytex

but you have to order a certain amount to get it with a special logo or logoless. I think everything else is going to have a logo on it. It's really not an issue - tell him to just not worry about it. Also advise him to use real plywood, and not OSB since it's going to be exposed for a length of time. OSB will swell and fall apart with exposure to rain/high humidity.

[EXT]

If he is really tight for money, he should NOT install housewrap and leave it on for a year as it will need replacing. It costs money to install it and then have it destroyed by the UV light. I have read that it should not be exposed to the sun/weather for more than 90 days. Painting the sheathing sounds the best way to go, and he won't have large logos emblazoned his house.

[maradcliff]

Thanks for all replies.

Apparently that stuff lasts longer than they claim. There is a house nearby that remodelled an older house about 5 years ago. The wrapped the entire house with house wrap, put vinyl siding on the front, back and one side. The left the other side with only house wrap. It remained for at least one full year. Now, 5 years later, 75% is bare wood. I am not the only person that has commented about this eyesore. I was told the guy never finishes a job. He does it because he dont have to pay taxes for improvements until they are completed. However, I have a feeling he will eventually pay much more for replacing the sheathing and possibly even structural damage. Some people are just clueless. I do agree, painting the plywood would be better. Actually I built a shed using half inch plywood sheathing. I intended to side it, but was short on cash. I found a rebate offer for Olympic Stain, where it ended up costing about $5 a gallon. I bought the solid stain, gave the shed 2 coats, and that was 5 years ago. The wood is still intact and I liked the look of the stain, so I just left it. I put furring strips on the seams and stained them too. Before I installed the strips, I caulked the seams.

Mark

[nicksanspam]

My Typar with the unprinted charcoal surface exposed on a south wall lasted about 5 years before peeling.

It has an unconditional lifetime guarantee, not including replacement labor.

Nick

[Richard J Kinch]

Signmakers use it plain to make banners.

[HeyBub]

What could go wrong? It won't rot. Bugs won't eat it. It doesn't hold moisture. Heck, it won't even BURN.