Vapor barrier / Discussions

...barrier location if perfect. I would point out that some air barrier materials allow moisture to pass, and some stop it. to install an air barrier on the outside of the insulation you need to be sure not to trap moisture, so be sure you have a vapor permeable membrane, read more here - Choosing the Right House Wrap / W...

...vapor barrier between the concrete walls and the 2x4 studs. The space behind the rim joist is insulated with 1" rigid foam (the pink stuff) and then covered by a very thin layer of spray foam. I plan to keep the current vapor barrier and wood studs for financial reasons, put mineral wool between the studs, then cover i...

...barrier is properly installed and not modified. I got a bit of leakage in the spring through my master bathroom ceiling.  I have a 6/12 pitch roof with gables at front and back. The buiding code where I live was changed a few years back and does not allow vented soffits within 4 ft of the property line, so my soffits a...

...vapor barriers and insulation.  I live in update NY, our home was constructed in 1952.  We are adding a full shed dormer with 2x6 walls and 2x12 rafters.  Our plan is to use closed cell in the walls and ceiling - which will have a copper standing seam roof.  Code requires a Tyvek type outer wrap, but we want to conside...

I'm adding insulation to the stud walls in my baserment with 2.25" of close cell spray foam on the concrete walls.  The stud walls are 3-5" " from the close cell spray foam.  I can either (try to) pack the void between the wall and the uneven surface of the closed cell spray foam, leaving the stud bays empty, or leave ...

...barrier, so that would be adding a vapour barrier to the outside of a building, which is bad thing. But, even 2 inches of EPS foam is in itself, pretty much a vapour barrier. This is the point where the thickness of a material becomes a very important variable. Easiest to understand would be watching this building scie...

...barrier on the interior warm side if I'm using house warp on outside? Will a good sealing primer prevent any moisture from travelling through walls? Thanks!

...vapor barrier. Without that moisture from the ground will continuously rise into the space and risk causing mold and mildew. 

...vapor barrier. Read more here about the characteristics and applications of different types of foam insulation, as they are all a bit different and not all great for the same purposes –  Choosing rigid foam insulation panels, which is best? Do you have space limitations or budget limitations that is having you lean tow...

...vapor barrier covering it, the vapor barrier is your problem. It's stopping the moisture from escaping where it can be handled by HRV systems. You will read in that page above about what is really going on in basements and why vapor barriers are the worst thing you can put on a basement wall. The problem you need to pr...

Old house; basement is only 21% of total under house footage. 79% is crawl space. Basement Never painted. Walls go up 4 ft to a 2ft wide ledge and then the old stone foundation. 1 side is an exterior wall; 3 sides are crawl space beyond the stone.  A lot of heat is lost through uninsulated basement floors, so good idea...

...barrier, should a vapor barrier (non permeable) be used to hault moisture flow between the attic and living space. Thinking permeable is better but I'm hearing differently. Where and when to use vapor barriers in construction and renovation can vary depending on a few things – the climate you are building in, whether i...

...vapor barrier in very cold climates, an exterior vapor barrier in hot and humid climates, and possibly vapor retarders in that grey area between the two.  I don't know your exact location so I would check with the local building authorities, but for cold climates you would want an interior vapor barrier. Taking care to...

...barriers) as air barriers, because you could go with an exterior air barrier (see our exterior peel and stick membrane installation video), or you can use the standard 6 mil poly interior vapour barrier as an air barrier.  Keep in mind that poly vapor barriers in homes with air condition are a problem in some locations...

...barrier so you can find and fix them.  That list of questions is pretty long, and I think the best place for you to start is figuring out what your budget is to make repairs, as that is a rather extensive list.  The best way we can help at this point is to lead you to some relevant pages that cover the topics you are ...

...vapor barrier down before or after the EPS foam insulation and as there's a chance of radon what specification of vapor barrier do I need, plus can this do the job without buying something actually called "Radon barrier" and pushing our costs up?    There are conflicting thoughts on this kicking around the web, but we ...

I have a customer with frost problems whose home shows every stud from the outside on a winter day. Would you say their spray foam insulation has failed? It's hard to ever weigh in on a problem with complete confidence without seeing a project or knowing the full wall assembly, but if anything, that may actually show a...

...barrier, and as long as you have at least 2 inches it would also be a suitable vapor barrier, and it will offer you thermal protection with the highest R value per inch.   You possibly 'could' leave the sheathing on and blow foam through holes, but I would leave that call up to the individual contractor to see if they ...