View Full Version : Typar vs Tyvek
TN_Hiker
02-15-2006, 17:00
Has anyone used Typar as a ground cloth? Typar is similar to Tyvek except it has polyester fibers on one side. It seems this would add to the strength but don't about the weight impact the fibers would have. I've been looking for Tyvek at construction sites and it seems all anyone is using is the Typar product. One contractor gave me a HUGE sheet of the Typar.
betic4lyf
02-15-2006, 19:15
i don't know about anyone else, but i haven't heard of it. maybe if you pointed to a resorce, maybe someone might be able to glean something new from it.
TN_Hiker
02-16-2006, 11:00
here is a link for typar:
http://www.typarhousewrap.com/index.html
hikerjohnd
02-16-2006, 11:33
I just requested a sample and sent an email to the regional distributor in the hopes of getting a sample big enough to test out - Will keep you posted on the results!
RockyTrail
02-16-2006, 12:32
Is Typar a knockoff of Tyvek?
How do they differ, the web site doesn't give a good up-close look at it.
TN_Hiker
02-16-2006, 12:35
I would say Typar is an improvement to Tyvek as far as housewraps go. Typar has polyester fibers bonded to one side which I assume adds additional strength.
fivefour
02-16-2006, 13:14
Maybe typar will make a better tarp then.
typar beats tyvek its a tan and blackish color beats the white.ky
Is Typar the housewrap that has gazillion small perferations? I think the reason a lot of contractors use Typar vs Tyvek is the cost. It is a bit less to purchase. Either product is difficult to tear but I seem to remember the Typar having small threads on the edges when cut lending a raggedy appearance to a loose sheet.
Is Typar the housewrap that has gazillion small perferations? I think the reason a lot of contractors use Typar vs Tyvek is the cost. It is a bit less to purchase. Either product is difficult to tear but I seem to remember the Typar having small threads on the edges when cut lending a raggedy appearance to a loose sheet.I did not know it had the small threads when it has ben cut,I have only seen the material from a distance and often would say it would look better than the tyvek when muddy ect ect.ky
"often would say it would look better than the tyvek when muddy ect ect.ky"
I do like the idea of it being dark. Not only for the "doesn't look dirty" thing but it could be another item to wrap around you in a brisk breeze on a sunny cool day. Having said that, I have a good supply of Tyvek so it will be used to make a pack liner. The compactor bags bug me to no end with the rustling in my pack. Can't stand that noise. Good discussion here.
~~~I have a good supply of Tyvek so it will be used to make a pack liner. The compactor bags bug me to no end with the rustling in my pack. Can't stand that noise. Good discussion here.
If the intent is to create a waterproof liner, you may be disappointed. Tyvek is not waterproof.
Thanks, for the info. I know it is not waterproof but as a liner in my sil-nylon pack it should hinder the flow should the bag get soaked over long period of time. Plus, I like the "bright" factor of looking into my pack for stuff instead of the deep dark hole. I figure anything that will alow moisture to escape in one direction will fail at some point with moisture in the other direction. If it weren't for that rustling noise made by the compactor bag, I'd be all set.
Thanks, for the info. I know it is not waterproof but as a liner in my sil-nylon pack it should hinder the flow should the bag get soaked over long period of time. Plus, I like the "bright" factor of looking into my pack for stuff instead of the deep dark hole. I figure anything that will alow moisture to escape in one direction will fail at some point with moisture in the other direction. If it weren't for that rustling noise made by the compactor bag, I'd be all set.
I absolutely agree with the "bright" factor. I found white compactor bags, that are 2 mil poly and don't rustle like most cheap garbage bags. It does make it easier to see inside my pack.
Lanthar Mandragoran
02-17-2006, 19:13
Thanks, for the info. I know it is not waterproof but as a liner in my sil-nylon pack it should hinder the flow should the bag get soaked over long period of time. Plus, I like the "bright" factor of looking into my pack for stuff instead of the deep dark hole. I figure anything that will alow moisture to escape in one direction will fail at some point with moisture in the other direction. If it weren't for that rustling noise made by the compactor bag, I'd be all set.
Problem is, should your sil-nyl pack get soaked enough to let water in, the water is going to stay in for a while (because it won't get out easy). Therefor your tyvek inner sack would wind up sitting in a puddle for an extended length of time.
Your strategy would work if the bottom was mesh, but you may be dissapointed otherwise.
A BETTER use for the tyvek would be as a pack cover as it will shed most rain, however any rain that leaks in will come in as such low pressure as to have zero chance of penetrating the sil-nyl.
Lanthar Mandragoran
02-17-2006, 19:15
okay, for some reason my edit button dissapeared for the above post. the mesh bottom I was referring to was the pack not the tyvek liner.
fiddlehead
02-17-2006, 22:47
When i hiked the CDT in 98, i called my contractor buddies back home and asked them to send me some tyvek. They sent typar instead. I tried it 2 nights, the first night i got itchy from the fibers and the second night it rained and we got soaked.
Although tyvek may not be waterproof, it is highly water resistant. TYPAR is NOT! it leaked like a sieve.
Typar is much heavier, bulkier, and leaks water thru so much that i would worry if it was even on my house.
The reason more contractors are using it is because it is cheaper.
Tyvek works for me.
The only problem i ever had with tyvek was when we hiked the Pyrenees, it rained a lot and they tyvek eventually got mildewed. We got some bleach and sponged it all over the mildew areas as we couldn't get a new piece over there.
It is also great for writing your destination on when hitchiking. you just fold it up to a new area to go to the next town.
Problem is, should your sil-nyl pack get soaked enough to let water in, the water is going to stay in for a while (because it won't get out easy). Therefor your tyvek inner sack would wind up sitting in a puddle for an extended length of time.
Thanks for that insight. I hadn't thought of the pooling in the bottom of the bag. I have made and used bags of Tyvek and they worked well for stuff in my pack and thought I might just make one big bag to hold all the little bags (3).
hikerjohnd
05-24-2006, 11:23
Well, I did not make it to trail days, but I went camping monday to this morning. Over the weekend I cut a piece of typar to fit under my tent and while I will not swear the piece is exactly the same as my piece of tyvek, it is certainly big enough for my tent. Here is what I found:
1) After repeated washings, it does not get as soft and pliable as tyvek. In fact, it seems almost as stiff as when it was unwashed, although there is some give.
2) I was surprised by the weight - it came in the same as my piece of tyvek - or at least within 0.2 ounces (the accuracy of my scale)
3) I used the typar fiber side up the first night and could feel the fibers under the tent floor - not an issue at all, but weird sensation if you wake up on the floor. The second night I put the fiber side down - big mistake. When I packed up camp this morning there was so much debris trapped in the fibers it was impossible to clean. I weighed it when I got home and there was about 6 ounces of dirt trapped in the there. It is in the washer now - I am hoping to get it back to the original weight.
So - I think it is probably more durable than tyvek - especially with the fiber reinforcement. It comes in at the same weight (which surprised me) and as long as you use it fiber side up it will not collect dirt. My only reservation and probably the reason I will not switch to it is, will the fiber side be abrasive on the floor of the tent over time? Is that abrasiveness doing more damage to the tent than mother nature?
Moon Monster
05-24-2006, 13:00
I have used Owens-Corning Pinkwrap a bit. It is a competitor housewrap to Typar. Like Typar, it has fibers embedded in the material, but they are not rough on one side or the other. It also has a texture of little pits, which helped keep me from sliding around thru the night. My piece weighed comparably to my old kite-grade Tyvek piece, but it was much stiffer, which is nice as far as laying it out flat, but it made for very loud rolling and unrolling. It's also bright pink.
I never had it on much wet ground, though, because I soon switched to a new piece of Tyvek housewrap.
But, bottom line, go ahead and try a piece if your local construction site is using the Pinkwrap instead of Tyvek.
http://www.owenscorning.com/around/insulation/products/pinkwrap.asp
Lanthar Mandragoran
05-24-2006, 13:06
Bright pink? Wow...
i got some of thr uSPS tyvek mailing sacks to see if tvvek is really water proff. At first there was no leaking through the tyvek. The stuff is so stiff,I decided to was it. After the first wash, still water proof. after about 4 washes it leaked like piece of wet cotton. I concluded that a bit of rough use would result inleaky tvvek.
Did i use the wrong kind of tyvek, or is this to be expected?
Lanthar Mandragoran
05-25-2006, 11:55
The battering a piece of tyvek takes while washing simulates years of extremely rough service... it destroys (physically) breaks the structure of the tyvek.
It would take significantly more than a 'bit' of rough use to cause tyvek to leak. If you go with 'kite-tyvek' which is softer to begin with, less fibers are going to break when it is abused as well.
I washed mine (tyvek) about 4 years ago to soften it. I only use it as a ground cloth (footprint) so I see no reason to wash it regularly. No moisture has ever leaked through.
Alligator
05-25-2006, 12:28
Maybe a good idea then to wash tyvek sparingly and in a front loader.