tyvek for ceiling?

[Yak22]

Hey all...

I was wondering if anyone has used Tyvek (or similar) as their main form of ceiling material.

Here is my thought...
I have an old garage with 2x6 joists that comprise the upper level of storage area. I floored that area with plywood years ago, and now I am beginning to use typical faced insulation to separate the upstairs from the downstairs so I cam only heating the actual main floor of the garage. However, due to the weight of the flooring, and items being stored upstairs, I hesitate to hang drywall as the ceiling. The batted insulation seems to do a pretty darn good job of insulation as it is, but I would like a cleaner look than the paper backed insulation, And maybe get one extra layer of material to help seal it all up..

Is there any reason I cant just use Tyvek for a ceiling material? I figure that its lightweight, easy to install and seal, and its white, so it should help with lighting.

Any reasons not to?

thanks for any help...

 

[RussInPalmBeach]

Sure, Tyvek would work killer.

I used it on all the inside and outside walls of an old historic home in new England and it made the heating bill drop 100s of dollars. Before that the house did not have any insulation. When I first got the house you could feel the cold air in the home. When I insulated the home I used the Tyvek on the outside over the old random width sheating, owens-corn Pink in the studs, and tyvek on the inside walls before the drywall.
I vac'ed all the dust out of the home before the pink went in. Old plaster & lathe makes such a mess. I also left a small 1/8" gap at the bottom of thbe drywall and I used Tremco Caulking to seal the drywall to the floors. This prevents any ants or critters from getting behind the new kitchen cabinets. So many people never seal the bottom of the drywall, especially behind the kitchen cabinets.

I used Tyvek on the ceiling to cover the 12" insulation in a commercial Bld. I have, then years later I had it rocked.

I used Tyvek on the rook and floors also. It's way better than the old school rosin paper.

I think it comes in a 9 x 150' foot roll, or something like that.

 

[ironroad 9c1]

yea I had my house resided and I tore off all the old siding , and before they got started with the new stuff I asked the guy if he was gonna put up housewrap, cause I didn't see any when they dropped off the materials. guy said no.. I was like , well I would highly suggest you do. and I am glad I did, its been a crappy winter hear and we are staying pretty cozy.

 

[Scotto]

It is actually used as a vapor barrier against unfaced insulation batts. Being on the ceiling and uncovered though, you'd have to see if the stuff's real flammable. That's the only concern I'd have.

 

[SportFury59]

I am in process of building garage and have some tyvek laying around and just went out and took a small piece and touched a match to it. It doesn't actually flare up and there is no flame to speak of but it does burn and disintegrates or decomposes immediately. I'd be leery of leaving it uncovered on a ceiling. Might even be code or insurance issues. A guy I know got large pieces of cardboard from his job and used that for ceiling sheathing. He spray painted it white. But that too has flammable concerns.

 

[redsky49]

Don't dismiss gyp board so readily. The typical installed weight is less than 2 lbs. per sq. ft. If you have ceiling deflection problems with that modest increase, you have structural problems that should be immediately addressed. My suspicion is that your 2x6 framing is way undersized for any beneficial use.

The benefits of gyp board include fire separation, insulation ( R factor of .45), smooth surface for finishes (increases reflectance for better lighting performance), dust barrier, etc.

Please get a second opinion from a knowledgeable expert regarding the ceiling structure. If needed, you can easily sister the framing, or otherwise improve the load carrying capacity of the structure. I have seen structural failures before. Not very pretty. Better to sleep without the worry that you have overloaded your building.

Offered only as opinion

 

[MDH9252]

I used tyvek for my shop ceiling (36X52) back in 2000, worked great....really brightens up the shop, and FAR cheaper than sheetrock or suspended ceiling. I just stapled mine about every 8" along each truss (2ft spacing), and so far no problems with drooping or tearing around the staples.

Be careful not to stretch the fabric during installation or it will create a wrinkle when you attach it. Really helps to have a couple of helpers to hold the roll as you work across the ceiling. I doesn't turn out perfect...but it works well for the cost.

 

[russlaferrera]

This is a statement/question. If tyvec is so flammable and thin. If it were to catch fire, what would it do? My thought is would be like lighting a match under a 2 X 4, it will not burn.
Other thoughts?

 

[redsky49]

From Dupont's technical Data Sheet:

Warnings:
1.) Tyvek®, ProShield®, and Tychem® fabrics are not flame resistant and
should not be used around heat, flame, sparks, or in potentially
flammable or explosive environments

 

[Yak22]

Thanks to all for the insight. The flamability is something I hadnt considered. So I will have to think about that a bit, but I dont think that I am too worried... I dont do much welding or grinding, so I doubt that sparks or flames would be much of an issue.. and if I found that I did, I could do drywall in that area.

MDH9252 - Thanks for chiming in, I figured I wasnt the only one to think about this... and thanks also for the tips on the install. My plan was similar to yours, as far as staples and the like, but I didnt think about the stretch factor.

 

[russlaferrera]

Just a mention, They make sheetrock in 1/4 thickness.

 

[5wndwcpe]

You could always nail up tempered masonite and paint it. It'd be lighter than sheetrock.

 

[BooUrns!]

Sure, Tyvek would work killer.
I used it on all the inside and outside walls of an old historic home in new England and it made the heating bill drop 100s of dollars. Before that the house did not have any insulation. When I first got the house you could feel the cold air in the home. When I insulated the home I used the Tyvek on the outside over the old random width sheating, owens-corn Pink in the studs, and tyvek on the inside walls before the drywall.
I vac'ed all the dust out of the home before the pink went in. Old plaster & lathe makes such a mess. I also left a small 1/8" gap at the bottom of thbe drywall and I used Tremco Caulking to seal the drywall to the floors. This prevents any ants or critters from getting behind the new kitchen cabinets. So many people never seal the bottom of the drywall, especially behind the kitchen cabinets.

I used Tyvek on the ceiling to cover the 12" insulation in a commercial Bld. I have, then years later I had it rocked.

I used Tyvek on the rook and floors also. It's way better than the old school rosin paper.

I think it comes in a 9 x 150' foot roll, or something like that.

You seem well intentioned but you're using this product incorrectly. Vapour barriers (polyethylene plastic 4-8 mil) go on the inside/warm side, tyvek is suppossed to go on the outside. The reason the house was suddenly warmer was because you had created an air envelope that significantly reduced air infiltration. Air itself has insulating properties if sealed into a cavity. Insulation works by trapping air within a medium of low conductive material.

Without a vapour barrier, these houses will be susceptible to moisture buildup within the walls as vapour travels across the thermal barrier.

It is actually used as a vapor barrier against unfaced insulation batts. Being on the ceiling and uncovered though, you'd have to see if the stuff's real flammable. That's the only concern I'd have.

Wrong. Tyvek is an AIR barrier. Tyvek repels liquid water but allows water vapour to pass through it. It is wrapped around a house to prevent air infiltration. If it were to trap water vapour in the wall, that water would consdense within the insulation, causing the thermal properties to be reduced and leading to other water related issues such as mold and structural damage.

HVAC systems are designed to keep the temperature and relative humidity inside the home at a comfortable level (% varies on region/ personal preference). That vapour barrier placed on the warm side of the thermal barrier keeps all that water vapour from escaping through the walls (through sheetrock and insulation and framing/siding). It also keeps the humidity inside from rising to the point where condensation occurs inside on the interior ceiling/walls. The RH inside the walls (in the insulation) should be equal to the relative humidity outside. This is why Tyvek air barriers are vapour permeable but water resistant.

This is a statement/question. If tyvek is so flammable and thin. If it were to catch fire, what would it do? My thought is would be like lighting a match under a 2 X 4, it will not burn.
Other thoughts?

Most of the damage that occurs when a house burns is from the convective heat from the flames and the soot and smoke generated. Dimensional lumber may not be significantly compromised but all contents of the structure may be irrepably damaged. Burning plastics and wood products release a lot of toxic chemicals into the air and they embed themselves on to all surfaces in the room.

My mothers house was destroyed by a fire. The second floor was completely scorched. 2x4s looked like matchsticks. The main floor was covered in soot and many plastic items were warped from heat damage. Our pets died from smoke inhalation in other areas of the house that weren't burnt.

I'm not going to get into the structural design issues or insulation/ventilation channel problems. If you're concerned that the roof can't support drywall, how do you expect it to stand up to heavy rain/snow loads? Insulation in roofs requires ventilation channels to prevent heat damage to the asphalt roofing tile.

 

[redsky49]

+1, Mostly

First,
By far, the majority of fire related deaths are due to smoke inhalation. The NFPA publishes annual death reports. My recollection is that the percentage of deaths due to smoke is something like 78% (I don't have the data handy). The adage among fire prevention professionals is that smoke detectors protect people, sprinklers protect buildings. Smoldering fires will frequently produce deadly gases while never getting hot enough to actuate a typical sprinkler (which employ a fusible link). CO monitors and smoke detectors should be in every structure including garages. Cheap protection.

Second,
Keep your head down. There are some real strong opinions on this forum about the need or even desirability of vapor barriers

 

[Yak22]

Just to clarify, while the weight of drywall is a slight concern, the convenience and cost are the main reasons I am considering this... Im fairly confident that the structure 'could' handle the added weight of drywall, I would prefer to hang something else... (tired of drywalling)

 

[BooUrns!]

Perhaps look for 6 or 8 mil polyethylene plastic (vapour barrier) in white. It will probably look better than tyvek. It won't provide any firestopping though so you'll still be at risk.

 

[Yak22]

well, I just tackled half of my garage ceiling using tyvek.

Since most of my projects are done by myself, I found that a second person might have allowed a better final appearance, but the functionality doesnt seem to be affected by my struggles.

The look isnt all that pretty, but then again, nothing in my garage really is that pretty... it is my garage after all, not my house.

Working with the tyvek was a bit more difficult than I expected, in that it has virtually no 'give' so I found myself having to do some folds and things to get it to lay straight.. but the tape also helped make up for a lot of it.

Overall, for the price of the tyvek, and the ability to hang it myself, I have no regrets. This was meant to add one additional layer of insulation, to cover up the beams, and to help with some light reflection... So in my mind it managed to do all of the above.

My next step is to do a band of 'trim' along the upper edge of the walls to seal the tyvek against the walls. I will probably use 1x3 or something cheap like that, just so I am not looking at a knife edge of tyvek along my walls.

Drywall would have been prettier, but a ton more work, and lot more expensive.

 

[Improved700]

Any pictures of the new install? Thanks alot

 

[rburke65]

Size of the roll and a price?

 

[Yak22]

I'll try to snap some pics this weekend...

The Tyvek was $60 for a 3ft x 165ft roll. Plus staples (cheap) and then I bought Tyvek tape which was $11 for a 165ft roll (expensive)... but in hindsight, Im fairly confident its just 'pretty' packaging tape.. so if I need more, I'll probably go that route.

I calculated originally, that the 165 ft roll would be almost exactly enough to do my entire ceiling, but after working with it, and overlapping certain areas, Im no longer certain of my calculations.. I havent yet finished the second half of my garage, so its too early to tell if I will have enough. I am waiting for decent weather so I can move one of my projects outside while I finish the second half. It would be a bit of a bummer to be just short of enough, since I have yet to see anywhere to buy a smaller quantity than the 165 ft roll... and if I come up short, I would probably only need 20 feet of an additional roll... that would kinda ****.

On a side note, I have immediately noticed a change in the airflow in the garage, because I smoke in my garage, and the smoke lingers much longer now than it did before the tyvek. In fact, I now have to turn on a fan just to circulate the air. Just as an FYI.

 

[Yak22]

well, here are a few pictures... I had to turn the lights off to be able to see the Tyvek due to my camera...

 

[mike's48]

I looked into tyvek for my ceiling( which is 2"x8" rafters and R21 encapsulated insulation between) but all I could find was LOGO printed on the face and it was a little high by the time you bought the tape to match.
I found a roll of tralier wrap(shrink wrap thats used on double wides when transporting them), 12' x 120' white 6 mill and white duct tape for less than 80$. I installed it with a roofing nail gun and 1" nails.
Reflects the light great, and covers the batts of insulation.
Before
After
hope this helps!
good luck!
mike

 

[Yak22]

nice! you could probably hit that with a heatgun and shrink it to make it super smooth!
(not really sure how that particular stuff works, just guessing)
That would be amazing... (if shrinking it worked..)

thanks for the idea!