Basement Wall Insulation Vapor Barrier

Whether or not you need a vapor retarder hinges on three main factors your climate your home and the location of the wall you re insulating.

Basement wall insulation vapor barrier.

A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter. The foam layer should be continuous and sealed at joints to keep indoor air away from the concrete. With fiber insulation and a vapor barrier moisture can get trapped in the insulation leading to moldy insulation and decay in the wood framing. Basement remodeling ideas from tv.

The material is stapled to the frame of a basement wall before it is finished with plaster or drywall. When the mold grows it will spread to everything around it studs drywall etc. Not every wall does. Basement insulation vapor barriers the trick with basement insulation jobs is in understanding where water vapor is being stored and where it s moving to.

It provides the best coverage and r value and and functions as a moisture barrier in and of itself. The other option is to set the 2 4 wall framing in 4 from the masonry or concrete basement walls and use just the vapor barrier on the insulation facing toward the living space. Of foam against the wall this should not be a problem in your climate. Polyurethane sheeting is a typical vapor barrier that contractors use to prevent moisture from penetrating the walls of a basement.

In any case the vapor barrier must point to the warm side. As the wall dries the water vapor leaves the concrete and tries to penetrate the insulation and wall. But if you use. The vapor barrier is sealed to the concrete wall at the bottom with some sort of seal and nailed directly to the concrete.

Concrete is like a huge sponge which holds water and water vapor for years and years. This will give you two vapor barriers one before and one after the stud wall framing. Also be sure to use treated lumber for the bottom plate on the wall framing. After the insulation is in place you will want to add a vapor retarder sometimes called a vapor barrier if you need one.

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. The best option for insulating a basement is to use spray foam insulation. A vapor barrier is also helpful to keeping a basement insulated and warm. Vapor barriers are sheets of plastic or other material placed on one side of insulation sheets.