Drainable building wraps, detailing as air barrier
woobagoobaa
| Posted in General Questions on
Wondering if taping the seams inhibits the drainage abilities. Anyone have direct experience with this issue? Hydrogap, Tamlyn, Commercial D, etc. Thanks
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Replies
Hi Wooba Goobaa.
Unlike some other manufacturers, I know that the folks at Benjamin Obdyke prefer that you lap but don't tape the seams of their WRBs. They see a reverse lap and a weakness when tape is used. And I think most high-performance builders agree that if you are using a mechanically-fastened WRB, a better approach to air sealing is to detail the structural sheathing as the air barrier with sealants and tape.
Thanks Brian. Yes I noticed BO not taping seams in their HydroGap training materials, which makes me wonder about detailing for air barrier. I will ask BO.
I noticed Tamlyn has a double sided tape for horizontal laps where the tape is placed between the two sheets. In this way you get a taped seam for air tightness but no reverse shingling. I haven't used this, only have noticed what they sell.