TYVEK for an inner door liner?

[offthahook]

Okay, I have one of my door panels off on my 84. That plastic in there is so brittle that it is not reusable AT ALL. Honda has DC'd them since my car is so old now. I talked to the body guy who has done a lot of work for me (painted the header panel, bumpers, and mirrors on the 84) and he said he could cut visqueen or a 3 mil thick trash bag from the pieces of the old door liner. Trust me, he can do it balls on perfect and adhere it quicker and better than any of us (probably). I'm thinking, why not use typar type wrap like they do on new construction exteriors? If he has to cut material, why not something extra thick and maybe a little more "solid"? He could easily cut for the speaker, armrest, lock, tabs, window crank, etc... If I undercoat the inner side of the door skin and use tyvek, would it even be quieter? Hope I can just get a scrap piece at Home Depot for the free. Sound tight?

[87accordHB]

humm, I always took that plastic wrap off when i took the door panel off. Would make since to use an extra thick material as a sound barrier. I might do that to my 3g or 2g.

[offthahook]

humm, I always took that plastic wrap off when i took the door panel off. Would make since to use an extra thick material as a sound barrier. I might do that to my 3g or 2g.

Good man... do NOT leave that liner off. It may seem like it doesn't do much, but it really does. I've driven around for months without the door panel (but the plastic on) and I was amazed how much moisture and water get through the outer skin of your door. You go through a car wash and you can watch the water almost run down your inner door. Plus, you know what the door panels are made of-- pretty much cardboard. You know what happens when cardboard gets wet. A Honda mecahanic told me never to leave those plastic liners off or even pulled back (like if you do speaker or door lock work). I was a believer after that! Throw in electrical connectors on a 3G or a 4 door LX 2G... Also, be sure your drain holes at the bottoms of your doors are open or else water will pool at the bottom--mold, rust, stench. I've seen it!

I'm feeling this Tyvek idea. I'm sure some hillbilly has dome long before I have, but I'm doing it precision style. The win!

[Swap_File]

Tyvek should work great, just make sure to put it on the right way :) (words facing the outside of the car) I wish I would have tought of that when working on my doors last year...

[offthahook]

Tyvek should work great, just make sure to put it on the right way :) (words facing the outside of the car) I wish I would have tought of that when working on my doors last year...

Fa sho! I'm hoping to get the foolproof kind where both sides are moisture resistant (like the UPS overnight envelopes), but I am putting the words towards the outside. Just like the houses have their wraps. Either way, I should be good if I get the double sided moisture barrier.

[2ndGenGuy]

My dad is a professional bodyman and when we put new doors on my 84, he told me that you really should redo the plastic in there. However, all we did was cut some trash bags to kinda fit and tape them in. It's not terribly important to seal it tight, but it is important to have it there to keep the majority of the moisture out. I wouln't worry too much about sealing it super tight. I've had the garbage bags taped up for 4 years, and there's no moisture in the door panels whatsoever.

[offthahook]

True and funny... My bodyguy actually suggested 3 mil think trashbags; I tried to one up him and he thought it a good idea. I'm not worried about airtight, but I want it to keep the moisture off my already soft door panels. I also want a nice looking fit. Kinda like you can have crappy tint and nice tintwork, but it all does the same job! This will never show, but it'll be cool to know it's tight. I just want to do it once and right, even more than right. Bad part... TYVEK is $57 for a 3' x 165' roll. Hope I can hit the new housing additions and score some scraps. I don't know anywhere that sells it by the foot

[2ndGenGuy]

Yeah, you're abolutely right. It is great to know that behind the scenes everything is super-tight, becasue then you know it will last longer and perform better. I guess performance in this case being how well it keeps out water. If you get the Tyvek, you should post some pics of the installation and let us know how well it works. It would be cool to see and have documented on the forums.

[offthahook]

Sweet. I found some people selling Tyvek by the foot on ebay. Overpriced @ $1.70 a foot (actually 9'x1'), but cheaper than a roll and they will cut it and ship it. One guy told me that the way you put it on doesn't matter; DuPont just says letters out for advertising purposes. He said Tyvek was a great ideal for jeeping moisture out of a door in a car. Makes sense... Another guy said his had one side that breathes and allows some moisture through, so his type wouldn't work. I'll probably just buy some and see what I think...

[Swap_File]

Tyvek is a one-way breathable material. Moisture can easily go through from the blank side to the side with words, but not the other way. If you put it on backwards it will only let moisture inside your car, and not let it out.

[offthahook]

Tyvek is a one-way breathable material. Moisture can easily go through from the blank side to the side with words, but not the other way. If you put it on backwards it will only let moisture inside your car, and not let it out.

Hmmm... Here is the reply from the guy selling it. I know he is "selling" it, but here's his take.

"Tyvek will work great as a vapor barrier in a door. Tyvek isn't dirrectional, it has the same properties in both directions. A common misconception because the Homewrap is marked as needing to be hung with the printing out, which has nothing to do with the function of the Tyvek, just the advertising and getting it to show for others to see."

Here's another seller's reply.

"The Tyvek I sell stretches very little, in fact probably none at all like paper.... It is water repellant on both side and super slick but no stretch.... Hope this helps..."

I dunno. I'm more confused than when I started. Proof will be when I hold it and see what is repellant and what is allows breathing...

[AccordEpicenter]

tyvek should work great. I dont think it will help any sound wise though. I wonder if you can find some thin foam insulation if that would fit, that might help with sound too, and be light

[denhonda]

They sell door foil plastic cheaply by the roll here. Cuts to match the original & with new mastic on the door makes for a satisfactory replacement. The plastic is very slightly thicker than the original & less fragile.

I replaced the foils on my '82 Accord when it was restored as the originals fell to bits. I fitted sound deadening pads to the insides of the panels too & extra thick insulation under the carpet.

Interior is possible quieter than before & the doors do close with more of a thud which is good.