“We’d be sitting in the living room during winter in sweatshirts, watching the drapes blow in the breeze—INSIDE the house,” said Sherrie Hedstrom. We almost always needed the wood fireplace burning just to keep the temperature comfortable. And the humidity inside was no better. You could see the mold building up around the window frames.”
The Hedstrom’s 1300 square-foot, two-story home is heated with gas, and cooled with electric, central AC. During the surprisingly hot and humid summer months, Sherri Hedstrom’s allergies were aggravated. The combination of constant discomfort and year-round energy bills averaging $200 a month was enough to prompt a decision—to reside their home from top to bottom.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the Johnsons were preparing to strip their 1350 square foot ranch of its aging and drafty aluminum siding. Their plan called for new siding with an air and water barrier underneath, and replacement windows throughout. Like the Hedstroms, the Johnson home suffered the same ills. “Our house was drafty and very cold and damp during the winter,” said Anthony Johnson. “We have oil fired, hot water heat and we were using two 150 gallon tanks every season to keep the house comfortable.”
The black paper was brittle and crumbling on the Johnson’s home. A friend recommended Tyvek® HomeWrap® after using it on a new garage.
The Hedstroms and the Johnsons had some initial concern about the added cost of the Tyvek® compared to black paper. That concern didn’t last long. Both remodeling jobs were completed in the fall, just in time for Green Bay’s early winter. The difference was dramatic and immediate. According to Sherri Hedstrom, “The drafts virtually disappeared, the house was comfortable and dry, and our heating bills were down $25 to $30 each month. Our highest energy bill for the following summer was just $158, down from the $200 average the year before.”
The Johnsons measured their savings in oil consumption. “The dampness disappeared from the house and we cut our oil consumption by slightly more than 25% over the winter. I’m very glad someone told me about Tyvek,®” said Johnson.