Do I Need Felt Paper Under Siding

The short answer is that felt paper is fine as a weather resistant barrier behind vinyl siding and will not cause a problem if the siding is installed correctly.

Do i need felt paper under siding. Asphalt felt tar paper the standard requirement is type 1 felt meeting astm d 226 standards. Decades ago the original form of house wrap used was asphalt coated felt paper. A paul fisette director of building materials and. For example an ice dam or roof leak may allow liquid water to get behind the felt or housewrap.

I need to do some repairs under my siding from a window leak. Tar paper also known as building felt is tar impregnated paper. They were built in the 1950s and 60s the felt was in perfect condition. The paper requirement is typically omitted for other types of siding when they re installed over rated structural sheathing.

Over the years house wrap materials have advanced providing far more protection. That has always been the reasoning for requiring asphalt felt. This underlayment is an important line of defense against moisture penetration. It is an age old choice as a weather barrier under roofing and siding.

Install pieces in the correct order and make cuts carefully so any moisture can travel downward at all points without slipping under the wrap. Yes the main purpose of asphalt felt on walls is to act as a wrb. On walls it has been eclipsed in new construction by various brands of house wrap a woven or spun bonded plastic. Should any water get past the siding properly installed felt paper.

Felt or building paper must be applied to walls properly to be effective. Felt paper also commonly referred to as tar paper is an underlayment material applied to bare walls before siding is installed. Before delving into why you should have house wrap under your vinyl it is essential to understand what exactly house wrap is. Our house was built about seven years ago.

Alone among the codes boca in its 1998 supplement requires a layer of 15 felt over the sheathing regardless of the siding type. But because the vinyl siding covers the felt paper it is shielded from the sun and never gets hotter than the temperature of the siding from solar gain. I ve opened up houses built less than 5 years previous and the tyvek was shreaded like old newspaper. Install flashings metal self adhesive or both as recommended by the window or door manufacturer or as required by local codes.

I ll stick with tried and true felt paper.