I'm building a barn/garage/etc..., and have started to put OSB up. I will not be able to put exterior insulation, siding on until the spring. I want to put housewrap over the OSB for the winter, and tear it off at the end*. Therefore... I don't want to spend any more on housewrap than necessary. I've looked around at the local stores, and these seem to be my options (all equivalently priced - 9' x 100' rolls): Typar - $89 Kimberly-clark BLOCK-IT (75') - $79 Woven Menards - $49 Tyvek - $$$$ I need three rolls. Any thoughts? I really like the price of woven, but am unsure if it will hold up for three months. I'll be using staples with caps, as well as strips of wood in strategic locations. I'm concerned about moisture being trapped between the house wrap and OSB, so the woven product could be a good thing... but being woven I suspect it will rip easily or let more water in. A difference of $120 wouldn't seem to be that big a deal (ie, go with Typar), but at this point in the project it will mean a lot, and since I will be removing it in the spring it will be basically like burning money. Thanks, John

Hey everybody. For the longest time, I've wanted to turn my single car garage into a small living space. Unfortunately, the pre-imagined cost (I've never actually bothered to find out) has always been the main barrier to entry, along with the fact that I'm not really a handyman (far from it, in fact). I might be able to do some small stuff like re-shingling the roof and putting in the insulation, but the rest of it will definitely need to be contracted out. Stuff like re-cementing the floor, taking off the garage door and building a wall, or inserting the drywall are way beyond my capabilities, sadly. The garage itself, is currently being used as a place to store garbage and other random junk, so nothing's being lost by embarking on this kind of project. I've never used it to store my car, nor do I have any desire to. It's pretty much just been a garbage can for the last 20 years. The garage is pretty old as well, it was probably built sometime in the 1960's, I believe. The foundation is rock-solid, though, and there is already some basic wiring laid inside for a couple outlets and some lights. The garage is detached from the main house, so will I need a building permit before renovating? Discounting utilities (such as running water, for example), what exactly would the overall cost be for renovating a garage like the one I've described? My budget is $6000, maybe $8000 MAX. Also, I'm going to be the one using this space, just FYI. Like I said, however, I just need this to be a very basic living space. I'm in DESPERATE NEED of the extra space, so if there's any possible way to make this work (given the budget I've mentioned) I'd really like to know. By the way, if there's any additional information that is needed such as the exact dimensions or even pictures of the interior and exterior of the garage then I'd be happy to provide them. Thanks in advance.