Any Experience with Low E House wrap

1. 67

   LandmarkWealthposted 12 years ago

   Any Experience with Low E House wrap
   
   I am in the midst of some home renovations including new vinyl siding.  My home has Tyvek that is 20 years old.  Most contractors seem to recommend the 1 inch Dow foam board for added R-value.  However, I have read there can be some long term problems in allowing the house to breath.  Recently I have heard about Low E house wrap which is more breathable, easier to work with and also reflects radiant heat which foam board does not. It also has about an R-4 with half the thickness.  Any info on anyone's experience or suggestions would be helpful.

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2. 64

   joecsekoposted 12 years ago

   Tyvek is a very good product, and definitely breathes. That's the entire idea behind Tyvek over tar paper (as they used to use). Low E stands for low emissivity. This means, in short, that any Low E product will deflect infra red radiation, but NOT ultra violet. IR are the rays that you feel heat from. While ultra violet are the rays that cause the greenhouse effect.
   It "may be" worth it, if you live in a particularly sunny region. If not, than using Tyvek will suit all of your needs.
   I base my answer upon my twenty years in the building trades, as well as several years of selling 3M and other branded solar products.

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   1. 67

      LandmarkWealthposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Check out this product and let me know what you think.  I supposed to be man all in one improvement.  It supposedly has been used in commercial buildings for years.  http://www.low-e.com/Pictures/WebPDF/PDF/8009.pdf

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