Easy Gard is Code Approved (ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. ESR-2252)

But, as Paul Fisette of the University of Massachusetts, Buildings Materials and Wood Technology center explains, the variability in standards and testing means approved materials range widely in real world effectiveness. In limited testing Fisette did, Tyvek bested by far seven competitive products in water resistance. Easy Gard, which is a woven HDPE product, was not included in the testing.

Researchers Peter Yost and the redoubtable Dr. Lstiburek have advised against all perforated wraps here and suggest a simple benchtop test to evaluate water resistance.

However, as Fisette emphasizes, housewrap is only one part of the equation in keeping homes dry. Technique, workmanship, design and other details are just as important as the choice of housewrap.

In my opinion it would be wise to avoid polyethylene house wrap that is woven, coated, perforated, or made in China.

Few house wraps can meet Tyvek's performance and EasyGuard is not one of them.

As noted above, Yost & Lstiburek say that in their "experience and benchtop testing, perforated and gross crosswoven housewraps simply donÂt pass muster."

Tyvek is non-woven, non perforated.

EasyGard is high density woven polypropylene coated on both sides with low density polypropylene and, according to its website, microperforated.

(FWIW, I use only non-perforated Typar.)

Typar was invented at the same time as Tyvek by DuPont but they didn't need two products that did the same thing so they sold Typar to another company. Somewhere along the way Typar got perforated and was not as weather resistant as Tyvek. In 2003 Typar lost its perforations and is now considered equal to Tyvek. WeatherSmart from Fortifiber also offers equivalent performance. The Typar that you see in Europe looks like a different product.

If I have to specify a housewrap, I think Typar is second only to Tyvek CommercialWrap because it is pretty difficult to damage either of these products during installation and that can avoid a major cause of poor performance.

i guess reviving / bumping an old thread. I have a contractor that started residing my house, came back after the first day and saw for the first time the wrb they are using -- easygard. I've only every noticed tyvex on homes before. I tried googling but can't find a home page for easygard. I called home depot and they said they do not carry such a product. In fact, this forum is the first hit..two red flags in my mind, but then I also noticed that it appears they are doing a subpar job on installation. From what I've found, it looks like a minimum horizontal overlap of 6" is required
Does anyone have any current info on this product -- installation instructions? Warranty? suggestions for how to proceed. This is an insurance hail repair. the adjuster quoted .026 for R&R housewap --.03 for removal and .23 for replacement. IF anything else looks odd feel free to let me know,,
thanks

It appears the installers are lapping the wrb correctly and using the proper fasteners. However, the fasteners are supposed to be spaced 8" apart o.c. See the installation instructions laid out in the ICC-ES Evaluation.

Though it's not in the instructions, using a compatible seam tape is recommended for weather resistive barriers (wrb) by building experts, as well as other wrb manufacturers.

The concern with micro-perforated thin wrbs is that the same construction that gives them a desirable perm rating (the ability to allow water vapour to pass through) means that wind-driven bulk water goes through them into house sheathing more easily than through non-perforated wrbs. In other words, they stumble at what building scientist Dr. Joe Lstiburek of Building Science Corp. calls the primary function of a housewrap, resisting rain penetration.

Furthermore, housewraps with a high perm rating--anything over 5 is unnecessary according to Lstiburek--may also be problematic in areas where hot humid summers result in a inward solar drive of moisture.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Sense of Housewraps

This post was edited by worthy on Mon, Mar 4, 13 at 1:18

Isn't there any more recent or more complete information available on EasyGard? The ICC test linked above appears to only be to verify minimum code compliance--it's not a full test report with results we can use to base opinions or purchasing decisions on. ICC wasn't even asked to test for it's compliance as a vapor barrier. It could even be superior to Tyvek but nobody will ever know based on this limited compliance test.
In all the years this stuff has been on the market & sold at Home Depot nobody has done or published any other testing?
Where does it state that EasyGard is perforated?

A contractor stripped the aluminum siding off my cottage & wrapped it in EasyGard. I'm about to re-side with cedar and need to know if I have to rip off all the wrap & re-do.

FWIW, as I mentioned I called my local area home depots and also the 1800 #. Nobody knew what easygard was or that it was even carried by home depot. That was really odd to me, plus virtually impossible to locate installation instructions and website is based out of china with scant info. I got my contractor to switch to tyvex after an unnecessarily terse convo. very irritating. note the icc thing expires this month unless a new one was issued.

Tyvek is so superior it is worth whatever you had to endure to get it. Any housewrap made in China or with a lumberyard logo on it should be rejected. A housewrap should be "non-woven" and "unperforated". No. 30 building paper would be superior to woven, perforated housewraps.

Renovator8 is on it. Tyvek is the only choice. The rest are pretenders.

I have decided to avoid the issues of wrapping a house with plastic and creating a space between the wrap and the sheathing by using Huber Zip Sheathing.

As an expert witness who sees the forensic results of woven WRBs, I can tell you most fail to prevent moisture from getting into the sheathing and they deteriorate over time. There are new " smart" WRBs Both liquid - Prosoco, and Sto) and membranes both self-adhering and fastened wraps ( Henry Blueskin, Intello) that are vapor permeable in both directions allowing drying inside and outside while being excellent Air barriers when properly taped and sealed. that means at seams and all terminations to windows and doors and all penetrations. FOr designers use your red pencil and draw a continuous line around your entire 3D envelope and have a detail for each transition of plane, system, or material. This is what the current code requires.

Sadly too many architects and builders don't understand this. Envelope failures are epidemic in this country... the wetter and more humid your climate the worse the problem is. This means failures will accelerate in mixed-humid and hot-humid climates, not eliminated in dry climates. Tyvek is just a "C" grade player in this sandbox in my expert opinion. Don't just meet the code if you want to reduce your risk of a failure and lawsuit go the extra measure for your envelope. Sleep at night is good.