Building paper

Description

A heavy, water resistant paper used in building construction. Building paper is used for sheathing under siding, floors and roofs. It block drafts, provides insulation, and acts as a moisture barrier. Originally, building papers were made from heavy Kraft paper. Many enhanced varieties were available coated with Asphalt and Wax for waterproofing or reinforced with Sisal and Burlap for added strength. In the latter part of the 20th century, most building construction switched to synthetic building papers, such as Tyvek®, that provided waterproofing, strength, and flexibility in one lightweight film.

Synonyms and Related Terms

sheathing paper; asphalt paper; papier goudronné (Fr.); papier de construction (Fr.)

Authority

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 578

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000