Jenkins decided he needed to solve the problem and scheduled his own re-siding.
He removed the old and badly faded vinyl siding to reveal a wall of 2"x4"
studs with fiberglass insulation, covered with 1-inch, foil-faced foam
board, and covered again with a horizontal v-groove, interlocking Styrofoam.“
"The problem was that the house, including the final layer of siding, was really nothing more than a series of continuous cracks and seams with no barrier to keep the wind from weaving its way through. And wind-driven water posed an even greater problem, especially around windows. People just don’t realize that most siding systems common in today’s construction are not a solid shell around a house," Jenkins explained.
"Siding, sheathing, even foam board is nothing more than a series of fitted and overlapping cracks and seams. If you don’t provide that ‘envelope’, there will be air and water leaks," said Jenkins.
"I’d been using Tyvek“ HomeWrap‰ from DuPont for years on any project that needed a housewrap. So I knew it was my best choice. I just kept my fingers crossed that it would live up to its claims. After all, this was my house, my comfort and my heating bill."
Jenkins removed the old siding, wrapped the house completely with Tyvek“ HomeWrap‰, and applied the new vinyl siding. "The results were very impressive," said Jenkins. "I noticed immediately that the air infiltration stopped, and my heating bill took a nose dive – maybe 30-40%. And, I confess I didn’t tape my seams according to the DuPont specs. Imagine if I had done this project right by taping the seams!" he said.
Jenkins added, "Now I go by the book. This is a great product that can do some amazing things for air and water infiltration if you do it properly. I’m very careful to roll the Tyvek“ HomeWrap‰ on evenly and tightly, overlap my seams, and staple to secure it. I wrap window flanges with additional strips of Tyvek“ to protect against water infiltration. Then I follow the specs for making a cutout in the Tyvek“ at the windows. I make sure my horizontal overlaps are done from the top down, so any water drains over Tyvek“ and moves safely to the outside of the wall. Then I tape the seams and the staples. I’ve used all roll sizes, though I prefer the 3-foot rolls because they can be handled easily, kept taut, and one or two guys can move quickly with it," explained Jenkins.
"I do about 100 remodeling jobs a year, from smaller home additions to larger re-siding projects, and a fair amount of commercial work. I always recommend Tyvek“ HomeWrap‰.
It costs a few pennies more, but I usually tell my customers about my own beach house experience and that’s all it takes to convince them," said Jenkins.