Which house wrap is best?

Every exterior weather barrier house wrap like Tyvek is intended to be breathable and let moisture pass though it, and you can usually find permeability rates listed on the manufacturers website specs pages. Simply for good measure we would recommend getting the most vapor permeable weather barrier, but more important than how they perform in laboratory testing is how they actually play out in real life after they are installed. For that reason we prefer the ‘peel and stick’ membranes as they adhere directly to the surface of sheathing rather than having to attach them with staples and nails, which lead to untold thousands of holes in your air barrier. This page explains it clearly –

Choosing a house wrap, which is best?

That page outlines the pros and cons of different types of house wraps, and as mentioned, how you apply them is as important as the products you choose. The best weather barrier in the world won’t help if you pop a thousand holes in it! We have a DIY green home building video series on our YouTube channel that takes you through all the steps of durable and efficient home design, here are two from that series that will also help you a lot, about how we installed a weather barrier and how to install siding as well –

How to install air barriers properly for a durable and energy efficient house

How to install siding so walls can dry

As for your pine siding, are the boards going to be horizonal or vertical? And what is your climate zone or closest city? Building properly for specific climates is important for home durability.  

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