Most authorities now agree that vapor barriers are important under certain conditions but not necessarily as a whole house solution for every home.
Insulation with vapor barrier attached.
If you put it on the right side where the humidity is it s not much of a vapor retarder.
A vapor barrier is designed to keep moisture in your home from getting inside your walls.
I live in mn and am insulating my garage ceiling in an attached garage.
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However there are also insulations like spray foam insulation that is designed to be moisture retardant anyway when facing isn t required.
Joe says in the article plastic vapor barriers really are vapor barriers when things get wet.
As mentioned earlier batt and roll insulation come with a vapor barrier attached.
This barrier is meant to keep moisture from getting to the insulation in the walls and ceilings and it is required by building codes when insulating most houses.
On the one hand i ve read about how air leakage is the main culprit of transporting moisture so i plan to air seal as best as i can with spray foam and caulk.
I m so confused about vapor barriers.
The wetter it gets the better it dries.
Vapor barriers usually composed of a thin film such as polyethylene vapor barriers are used to retard or prevent water vapor diffusion into a wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter.
It is basically designed to keep drywall dry.
However leakage can occur where the facings meet.
Vapor barriers applied over the face of the insulation provide additional benefits in the fight against moisture.
Resolution of the vapor barrier debate.
I ve read the articles here and on other sites and it seems like i can t get a final decision.
If you need a vapor barrier and your insulation is unfaced you must cover it with a polyethylene film.
The facing on faced insulation acts as a vapor retarder.
Not so asphalt saturated kraft paper.
Also on the graph is the permeance of polyethylene.
Vapor barriers are sheets of plastic or other material placed on one side of insulation sheets.
Facing is a layer attached to roll or batt insulation as a vapor barrier to help protect the living space from excess humidity or moisture.
In circumstances where conditions inside a home or office are much different than outdoor conditions water.
In cold climates a vapor barrier is almost always needed.
Avoidance of the installation of vapor barriers such as polyethylene vapor barriers foil faced batt insulation and reflective radiant barrier foil insulation on the interior of air conditioned assemblies a practice that has been linked with moldy buildings lstiburek 2002.