This One Decision Affects the Next 100+ Years of My Home.

I spent my summer GC’ing the construction of my new home! Despite unprecedented issues with supply chains and material costs, this project has offered me a new level of empathy for what our clients experience AFTER we complete their design services.

There isn’t enough space here to share my aha’s, but one takeaway is that I’m more mindful of how we guide our clients through important decisions and minimize their overwhelm. For example, some vendors that we worked with took the time to listen to our needs and vet the options that would be best for our situation. Others showed us every possible option to choose from & let us “have-at-it.”

One company stands out that I’m happy to share their info with you.

Next time you’re driving around take note of the basic products, such as Tyvek, that are stapled to the outside of a newly constructed home (usually flapping in the wind). This begs the question, how effective is this wrap?

For our home, I selected a HydroGap SA weather-resistant barrier manufactured by Benjamin Obdyke. It is self-adhered which does three essential things:

Provides a channel for water to drain outside of the structure.
Even when you nail through the wrap, the material will adhere around any staple or nail so that water will not get through.
Enhances a home’s resilience: allowing the wood sheathing to breathe when wet, not rot.

The concept behind the wrap is that it allows vapor to go through the walls and breathe, but it doesn’t let water get into the wall to create mold or moisture issues – a challenge for structures at the Shore. If you are considering different products for your clients or have any additional questions, feel free to reach out. I’ll refer you to my contacts who guided me through some important decisions for protecting my home.

And that’s a WRAP!

P.S.

If you’d like to geek out some more about house wraps, check out my video.