FAQ - Energy Savings
Q: Will wrapping my home save energy? I am in a house that is not wrapped and my heating bills are too high.
If you are planning to re-side your home, you should definitely consider the TYPAR® Weather Protection System. At the heart of the system is TYPAR® BuildingWrap which acts as an air and moisture barrier, while simultaneously allowing moisture vapor to escape from the wall cavity to the outside. Installed before the exterior siding, TYPAR® BuildingWrap protects your home from nature’s harshest elements and has exceptional tear strength and ultraviolet stability. It also provides energy-efficiency for years to come, which is important for energy- and budget-conscious consumers. According to DOE and ENERGY STAR®, continuous air barriers such as TYPAR® BuildingWrap could reduce your energy cost as much as 15% to 20%.
Q: What is the R-value of TYPAR®?
TYPAR® does not have an R-value in and of itself. It does, however, contribute to the total number of the R-value of the insulation used.
Q: How do I know which building wrap product is right for my particular application?
All TYPAR® building wrap products offer superior water holdout, tear strength, UV resistance and energy-efficiency. But if you are planning a commercial building, or if you build in a high-wind, hurricane-prone area, you may want to consider TYPAR® MetroWrap.
Q: Why is air porosity important in a building wrap?
Another term for building wraps is Air Infiltration Barrier (AIB). Preventing air leakage and weather damage are the two main functions of all building wraps. Preventing air leakage is the key to energy-efficiency. All building wraps must meet industry standards requiring a high degree of air infiltration resistance, and TYPAR® exceeds these standards on both wall section and whole-house testing. In addition, tears and nail holes can greatly affect air infiltration; unlike some other building wraps, TYPAR® is exceptionally resistant to tearing and puncturing, which provides extra assurance of an airtight structure.
Q: How much moisture vapor should a building wrap pass in order to prevent condensation problems?
Experts agree that a building wrap should pass water vapor 5 to 10 times faster than the internal vapor barrier. Since most vapor barriers measure at 2 to 4 g/m2/24 hr., a minimum value of 10 to 40 g/m2/24 hr. is sufficient. This is the range for various types of 15 pound felts that have been in use for years. TYPAR® BuildingWrap is 3 to 4 times greater than this minimum value range.
Q: How much water should a building wrap resist once it’s placed on the wall?
The key here is being able to resist blowing rain, snow and sleet in the field, not just water in the laboratory environment. Tests have shown that TYPAR® has excellent water holdout for a vertical surface. In fact, because TYPAR® does not tear on the job site, it is actually more water-resistant than some other building wraps claiming big numbers in the lab. Those building wraps are more likely to rip, which makes the laboratory test figures meaningless.
Q: How does TYPAR® compare in tensile strength?
Some buildingwraps make claims about their strength based on tests performed on narrow strips of fabric. Since the product is never used in this way, these measurements are not meaningful. This is even stated in the test procedure used by some other buildingwraps; American Society for Testing and Materials test ASTM D882 is for thin plastic sheeting, not nonwoven fabrics. The grab tensile measurement, however, is meaningful. The test, ASTM D5034, clearly states it is designed for nonwoven fabric. In this test, a sample 4′ x 6′ is tested for tensile strength. The results of this test (performed by an independent laboratory) indicate that TYPAR® superior strength translates to performance on the job site.
Q: How does TYPAR® compare in tear resistance?
"In-plane" is the best measurement of tear resistance for a buildingwrap. The trapezoid tear test, the best measurement of in-plane tear resistance, takes place when the buildingwrap is fastened to the wall and is subjected to tearing in the plane of the wall. TYPAR® is more than eight times higher in trapezoid tear resistance as Tyvek®. The builder can be certain that TYPAR® will not blow off or tear and will continue to perform on the building. Remember: If the buildingwrap is torn or damaged before it is covered, it will leak and no longer be an air barrier; all of the laboratory data becomes invalid. Because of its strength, TYPAR® performs in the field as well as in the lab.
Q: How does TYPAR® compare in UV resistance?
Other buidlingwraps are limited to UV protection only in the coating. Construction mishaps and wind can cause the coating to peel off or deteriorate, further minimizing UV stability. TYPAR® is the only buildingwrap that has UV protection and antioxidants in both the fibers and the coating; the formula used to protect it was extensively tested for more than four years.