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Found 35 results for the keyword(s) ‘Vapour Barrier’

• Article

  DOES STYROFOAM ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE FORM A VAPOUR BARRIER?

  Styrofoam (which is actually a Dow Chemical brand name of extruded polystyrene) is a fairly good vapour barrier. It will not cause problems in the Canadian climate if you put on at least 1-1/2 inch thick and preferably in 2 ft. x 8 ft sheets applied horizontally. This actually permits some ...
• Article

  ARE BROWN PAPER-BACKED FIBERGLASS BATTS GOOD VAPOUR BARRIERS?

  No, but don't worry about it; they are no longer available in Canada anyway. It was impossible to seal the joints, which let through more moisture than the paper ever stopped. They were actually eliminated in Canada because their fire ratings required them to be covered with special materials. ...
• Article

  MYTH: VAPOUR BARRIERS ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE WALLS FROM CONDENSATION.

  False. Vapour barriers do help to protect the walls from moisture accumulation, but the help they provide is almost insignificant compared to that provided by air barriers. Moisture gets into walls and attics by two paths: air exfiltration through cracks and vapour diffusion through the wa...
• Article

  WHERE IS A VAPOUR BARRIER TO BE PLACED?

  Tradition and the building code have always said that a vapour barrier (properly called a vapour retarder) should be placed on the warm side of the insulation. This is actually an oversimplification of the scientific reasoning on the placement of a vapour barrier. With modern, energy-effici...
• Article

  WHAT IS A VAPOUR BARRIER?

  For years people have insisted that we have good vapour barriers to protect wall and attics from condensation. But others have railed against vapour barriers, claiming they cause condensation problems inside the house.Now the facts are known -- both groups are wrong and most people confuse v...