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You know, if you have an existing home in the Tri state, this is probably what is behind your house, and I am talking about older homes. Old builders used to use tar paper to stop water from touching the wood on a house and it is very, very effective but guess what, you build new, this is what you want to use. These are the new air and water infiltration barriers. They have been around for about 15 years but they have really gained in popularity in the last five to ten. Now, how do they work? They are really interesting. They are just like some of the expensive fabrics you buy for a winter coat. They will not let liquid water in but more importantly, they will let water vapor out of your house. Now, how do you install these water vapors? Well, they come in big long rolls almost 9 feet wide, sometimes, they have shorter rolls that are three feet wide, they are very nice little fabrics, you just nail them on the house or you can staple them, but more importantly, you have to make sure that you use a special tape to take the seems, if you do not take the seems, you can get water leakage. One other important factor, make sure that the water vapor and the water barrier extends about an inch below the top of the foundation, that way, any water that gets behind the brick or the wood siding or the vinyl siding, it will wick down and go past the foundation, it will not get your wood wet.

Okay, this water barrier materials, they are really, really the best. They are going to keep the water out of your house especially if you use the special tape that is made to seal the seems. Remember, if you are building new, you have got to use this water barriers.

If you want to discover more home improvement tips, go to AsktheBuilder.com

You know, if you have an existing home in the Tri state, this is probably what is behind your house, and I am talking about older homes. Old builders used to use tar paper to stop water from touching the wood on a house and it is very, very effective... click to read more