What Each Material Actually Does

Both felt paper and house wrap function as water-resistive barriers, installed behind siding to intercept water that gets past the cladding and direct it back out before it reaches the sheathing. Felt paper, sometimes called tar paper or building paper, is made from asphalt-saturated fibers, while house wrap is a synthetic material, typically a woven or spun polymer sheet. Since 2006, the International Residential Code has effectively required a water-resistive barrier on all new construction, making one or the other a near-universal requirement rather than an optional upgrade.

Durability and Tear Resistance

House wrap generally holds up better to tearing during installation and to ongoing exposure before siding goes up, since synthetic materials resist puncture and UV degradation more effectively than asphalt-saturated felt. Felt paper can become brittle over time, particularly if exposed to sun for an extended period before the siding is installed, and it's more prone to tearing around fasteners and staples. This durability gap is one of the main reasons house wrap has become the standard choice among installers working in humid, high-rainfall climates like Summerville's.

Moisture Management

Both materials are designed to shed bulk water while allowing some vapor to pass through and dry out, but house wrap products vary more widely in their permeability ratings than felt paper does. Look for products rated at 1 perm or higher to ensure adequate drying capacity; the higher the perm rating, the faster trapped moisture can evaporate. Felt paper tends to sit in a fairly consistent permeability range, while house wrap options range from highly permeable to nearly non-permeable depending on the specific product line.

Air Sealing Performance

Neither material functions as a true air barrier on its own. Air barrier performance depends on how well every seam, fastener penetration, and window or door opening is taped and integrated, not on the base material itself. Installers can achieve air-sealing performance with either felt paper or house wrap, but house wrap's compatibility with modern tape systems generally makes proper sealing more consistent and easier to execute correctly in the field, which matters more for long-term performance than the base material choice alone.

Cost and Installation Speed

Felt paper is typically less expensive per roll than house wrap, but house wrap's larger roll widths and faster installation can offset some of that difference in labor time. For most residential projects, the material cost difference between the two is a relatively small percentage of the overall siding project budget.

Which Should You Choose?

House wrap is the more common choice for new construction and full re-siding projects today, largely due to its durability and compatibility with modern taping and flashing systems. Felt paper remains a valid, code-compliant option, particularly for smaller repair projects or when matching an existing installation. For most Summerville homeowners undertaking a full siding project, house wrap is generally the more practical choice given the region's rainfall and humidity.

Questions About Your Weather Barrier?

Summerville Pro Siding & Wrap installs house wrap systems as part of every new construction and full re-siding project. We serve homeowners throughout Summerville and the surrounding Lowcountry with free assessments of your home's current weather barrier condition.