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House Wrap - Vinyl Siding

Bee1971

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Sorry , not a home construction expert , however

Little bored between slow work at the airport and some projects with the car on hold

Anyways going to install some new vertical siding on the second story

I was a little surprised when I pulled off my faded horizontal vinyl siding on our 20 year old home here in WI , built in 1999 , and discovered no house wrap , maybe it wasn’t code required back then ?

Obviously flanged vinyl windows already installed

Wood sheathing is excellent along with windows - Zero moisture damage anywhere , everything looks great honestly

Should I install house wrap or just leave it as is ?

If I install house wrap , everything I see online is pretty much done BEFORE windows are installed as far as flashing , tape etc.

Am I overthinking this ? Or how to use flashing tape etc and bring the house wrap up to and seal around the windows

Top of windows are basically just under soffit overhang by about 4"

Thanx for any advice

Have Home Depot and Menards close by

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Hmm,
Not a carpenter but...
In the old days, they just put the shingles on, I think
But if it were mine, yeah, I'd staple on something, be it felt Paper or wrap
 
Get some 3/8" fanfold insulation and tape for the joints. Flash tape the insulation to the window frames. This method will not only seal the house from drafts but also give the siding some expansion backing.
 
Definitely house wrap it.
Get the tape that goes with it and tape the window flashings.
 
You should try to get something under the bottom flange of the window (which shouldn't be nailed). I'd also extend the side flange with 3m All Weather Flashing Tape extending that over whatever you use for house wrap. *** backwards, but unless you want to pull the windows...which you should consider as it's pretty easy. Just cut the trim/caulk away from the inside first.
 
I think the basic question here concerns flashing the windows without pulling them out.
Wrapping before the window installation is better but not a deal breaker.
For sure wrap the house in Tyvek. Cut it around the windows then flash tape those seams with the best **** you can find.
The trick to this stuff is to try and think like water. Water is a slave to gravity.
Seal your house so the water runs runs around, out and down and you will be fine.
 
You should try to get something under the bottom flange of the window (which shouldn't be nailed). I'd also extend the side flange with 3m All Weather Flashing Tape extending that over whatever you use for house wrap. *** backwards, but unless you want to pull the windows...which you should consider as it's pretty easy. Just cut the trim/caulk away from the inside first.

Didn’t really want to pull the windows

I could pull the nails on the bottom flange however

I did that on my vinyl sliding patio door when I installed the z channel under the flange for my deck ledger board

Anyways

House is very well insulated within the walls , and blown insulation inside attic and garage


3m Flashing tape extended - Thanx
 
Last edited:
I think the basic question here concerns flashing the windows without pulling them out.
Wrapping before the window installation is better but not a deal breaker.
For sure wrap the house in Tyvek. Cut it around the windows then flash tape those seams with the best **** you can find.
The trick to this stuff is to try and think like water. Water is a slave to gravity.
Seal your house so the water runs runs around, out and down and you will be fine.


Thank You

Exactly what I was looking for

I didn’t want to get over my head on this project , and overthink knowing everything has survived -30 below to 95 above , rain and snow just fine with just cheap horizontal vinyl siding the last twenty years

But at the same time , Anyways

Home Depot sells Tyvek and everything I should need
 
Get some 3/8" fanfold insulation and tape for the joints. Flash tape the insulation to the window frames. This method will not only seal the house from drafts but also give the siding some expansion backing.
This.
 
I'd put the wrap on, just one more layer of protection.
 
Wrap is fine as is.use the 6" window tape, available at most home improvement stores, install the bottom tape first then the sides, followed by the header. Prevents water creep at the corners.
 
To what Joe says as far as header saging and a little off topic. I installed a slider were a double hung window was. I fit the header really to close to the slider. The big mistake was I had the crown of the header facing the wrong way. Over the years the door stuck at certain spot when opening it. I adjusted down the rollers until there was no adjustment left...
When I redid that room over for the second time I took out that slider and replaced it with a different one and reframed the rough opening. Never had a problem after that. I wish I knew more about carpentry but back in those days there was no internet or you tube advise and no FBBO to ask questions as some of you guys really know your stuff
 
Wrap is fine as is.use the 6" window tape, available at most home improvement stores, install the bottom tape first then the sides, followed by the header. Prevents water creep at the corners.


So do this first with the 6" window flashing tape on the window vinyl flanges to bare wood sheathing

Then Tyvek the whole second story with wifes help and hope she doesn’t fall off the roof or gets

Cut out window openings

And tape again in same manner around the windows with the Tyvek seam tape or 6" window flashing tape in same manner

Thanx Scott
 
So do this first with the 6" window flashing tape on the window vinyl flanges to bare wood sheathing

Then Tyvek the whole second story with wifes help and hope she doesn’t fall off the roof or gets

Cut out window openings

And tape again in same manner around the windows with the Tyvek seam tape or 6" window flashing tape in same manner

Thanx Scott
I would do a 6" butyl rubber / foil flash around the window to sheathing in the fashion Pushrod stated, wrap, then foil tape the wrap in the same fashion.
Bottom up on all layers so the the water runs over, out and down.
 
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