- Read UV exposure first. The sheets below run from 60 days (Tyvek HomeWrap, Canadian sheet) to 9 months (Tyvek CommercialWrap).
- Perm ratings only compare on the same ASTM E96 method. Method A and Method B give different numbers for the same wrap.
- Check the code report for your market: an ICC-ES evaluation report in the US, a CCMC evaluation in Canada.
- Drainable wraps add a drainage path behind the cladding. DuPont aims Tyvek DrainWrap at primed wood, fiber cement and foam board.
UV exposure: how long the wall can sit open.
Makers set a limit on how long the wrap can stay uncovered; DuPont's US guide says it requires HomeWrap to be covered within 120 days. Tyvek HomeWrap's Canadian sheet says 60 days, and its US sheet says 120 days, for the same product. Tyvek CommercialWrap is rated for 9 months, Typar BuildingWrap for 6 months, and Tyvek DrainWrap and HydroGap SA for 120 days.
Use the sheet for the country the job is in.
Vapour permeance (perms).
Perms measure how much water vapour passes through the wrap. The figure depends on the ASTM E96 method. DuPont's US product page gives Tyvek HomeWrap 56 perms by Method A and 54 by Method B. Its Canadian sheet gives 30 perms by Method B. Typar BuildingWrap lists 11.7 perms and Typar.CA HouseWrap 18 perms, both by Method A.
Compare two wraps only on the same method, and read the method off each sheet.
Water and air resistance.
Water: DuPont lists Tyvek HomeWrap at 250 cm of water penetration resistance (AATCC 127) on its US product page and Tyvek CommercialWrap at 280 cm. Typar lists more than 500 cm for BuildingWrap and more than 250 cm for Typar.CA HouseWrap.
Air: Tyvek HomeWrap's Canadian sheet lists 0.01 L/s m2 at 75 Pa (ASTM E2178). Typar lists 0.0032 L/s m2 for BuildingWrap and 0.0014 L/s m2 for Typar.CA HouseWrap, each at 75 Pa. If the wrap is the air barrier, the installation changes too: DuPont requires the horizontal seams and the top and bottom edges taped as well.
Weight and strength.
Tyvek HomeWrap weighs 1.8 oz/yd2 and Tyvek CommercialWrap 2.7 oz/yd2. Typar BuildingWrap weighs 3.024 oz/yd2 and Typar.CA HouseWrap 2.21 oz/yd2.
Strength figures use different tests. DuPont reports breaking strength by ASTM D882 in lbs per inch (30/30 for HomeWrap, 38/35 for CommercialWrap). Typar reports grab tensile by ASTM D5034 in lbs (67/73 for BuildingWrap, 55/53 for Typar.CA).
Code reports.
In the US, the IRC lists wraps meeting ASTM E2556 Type 1 or 2 among its materials, and makers publish ICC-ES evaluation reports. Tyvek's is ESR-2375, reissued in October 2025, which states the products comply with ASTM E2556 Type II. Typar's installation guide lists ICC-ESR-1404.
In Canada, wraps list CCMC evaluations, issued by the National Research Council's Canadian Construction Materials Centre. Typar's guide lists CCMC 12892-R and 12884-R, and the Typar.CA sheet lists 13231-R and 13230-R. Ask for the report number with the quote and check it on the NRC's CCMC registry.
Drainable wraps.
A drainable wrap adds a drainage path between the wrap and the cladding. Tyvek DrainWrap has vertical grooves and DuPont lists more than 98% drainage efficiency by ASTM E2273, aimed at primed wood, fiber cement and foam board over flat surfaces. HydroGap SA from Benjamin Obdyke is a self-adhered wrap with a 1 mm drainage gap, 12 perms and 96% drainage efficiency.
In the US, IRC R703.1.1 asks for a means of draining water that gets behind the cladding. In Canada, check the air space your province's code and the wrap's CCMC evaluation call for behind the cladding.
Published figures from each maker's sheet or product page. Perms and strength are only comparable on the same test method.
| Wrap | UV exposure | Perms (ASTM E96 method) | Water resistance | Basis weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyvek HomeWrap, Canadian sheet | 60 days | 30 (B) | Not on the Canadian sheet | 1.8 oz/yd2 |
| Tyvek HomeWrap, US sheet and product page | 120 days | 56 (A), 54 (B) | 250 cm | 1.8 oz/yd2 |
| Tyvek CommercialWrap | 9 months | 28 (B) | 280 cm | 2.7 oz/yd2 |
| Typar BuildingWrap (US) | 6 months | 11.7 (A) | Over 500 cm | 3.024 oz/yd2 |
| Typar.CA HouseWrap | Pass, no days stated | 18 (A) | Over 250 cm | 2.21 oz/yd2 |
| Tyvek DrainWrap | 120 days | Not on the product page | Not on the product page | 2.1 oz/yd2 (ESR-2375) |
| HydroGap SA | 120 days | 12 (method not stated) | Not on the product page | Not on the product page |
Common questions.
- What is the best house wrap?
- The one whose data sheet fits the job: enough UV exposure for your cladding schedule, the code report for your market, the air barrier rating if you need one, and drainage if the cladding calls for it.
- Is Tyvek or Typar better?
- They lead on different figures. Typar BuildingWrap's sheet lists 6 months of UV exposure against 120 days on Tyvek HomeWrap's US sheet. On perms by Method A, DuPont's US product page lists Tyvek HomeWrap at 56 against 11.7 for Typar BuildingWrap.
- What is a drainable house wrap?
- A wrap with grooves or a built-in gap that lets water behind the cladding run down and out. Tyvek DrainWrap uses vertical grooves. HydroGap SA uses a 1 mm gap.
- Can house wrap be the air barrier?
- Some can. ICC-ES ESR-2375 says the Tyvek products it covers may be used as air barrier material, and DuPont then requires the horizontal seams and the top and bottom edges taped as well as the vertical seams.
Sources.
- DuPont: Tyvek HomeWrap product information sheet, Canada, August 2025
- DuPont: Tyvek HomeWrap product information sheet, US
- DuPont: Tyvek HomeWrap product page, US
- DuPont: Tyvek CommercialWrap product information sheet (distributor copy, 2021)
- DuPont: Tyvek DrainWrap
- ICC-ES ESR-2375: DuPont Tyvek water-resistive barriers
- Typar: BuildingWrap typical characteristics
- Typar: BuildingWrap installation guide
- Typar.CA HouseWrap sell sheet, January 2025
- Benjamin Obdyke: HydroGap SA
For general information only, not medical advice. Ask a clinician before starting regular sauna use.
Keep reading.
Set our roll's data sheet beside these.
Crateworks quotes house wrap for jobs in Canada in 9 ft by 100 ft rolls, 56 to a skid. The data sheet travels with the quote. Send the spec line your builder uses and the quote either matches it or tells you it does not.