Tar Paper Behind Vinyl 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.

Tar paper behind vinyl siding.

The irc 2000 code and our building dept. Faq s acronym s terminology to tyvek or not to tyvek that is the question. Installing foam board insulation under vinyl siding today. This is a time intensive process and requires all sorts of skill.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how to from fine homebuilding plus special offers. Siding applied directly over tar paper creates a sandwich effect and can trap water between the siding material and the tar paper. Use tyvek over building felt under siding. In fact many builders disagree on the effectiveness of house wraps altogether and while some builders will only install 15 pound asphalt saturated felt paper underneath exterior siding others swear by plastic fabric house wraps such as typar or tyvek.

Tar paper does not offer this. Should any water get past the siding. Get home building tips offers and expert advice in your inbox. Its primary purpose is to prevent air and water leaks that may have seeped past the vinyl exterior.

If you want vertical drainage with tar paper you have to add treated lumber strips on top of the tar paper.