ᐅ I need your help with the vapor barrier / vapor retarder.
Created on: 31 Jan 2015 19:02
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tomatos666
Hello,
I attended a homebuilding fair today focused on drywall construction.
I plan to add an additional floor to an existing house or extend it.
Because I want to avoid structural issues and water ingress into the existing building during construction, I have decided to use drywall construction. (Of course, also keeping in mind that drywall = wood = healthy)
At the fair, I noticed that many manufacturers, especially the well-known ones, rely on a vapor barrier or vapor retarder.
However, I keep thinking that a vapor barrier or retarder cannot simply make moisture disappear; it must stop the water somewhere, meaning moisture will accumulate. Additionally, the walls are completely airtight. So where does the moisture go?
The vapor barrier is always installed behind the assembly where the electrician and others run their installations.
I have now done some research online and, to be honest, I am quite worried.
What I absolutely want to avoid is moisture inside the walls and the related mold growth!
According to information and horror stories, moisture and mold usually appear where vapor retarders were installed incorrectly or were damaged during installation.
I would prefer to avoid using this film altogether because my common sense tells me it cannot be good to live in a "plastic wrap."
Is it possible to forgo a vapor retarder or vapor barrier in exterior walls?
If yes, what alternatives are there?
Am I imagining things, or is this a widespread concern?
I attended a homebuilding fair today focused on drywall construction.
I plan to add an additional floor to an existing house or extend it.
Because I want to avoid structural issues and water ingress into the existing building during construction, I have decided to use drywall construction. (Of course, also keeping in mind that drywall = wood = healthy)
At the fair, I noticed that many manufacturers, especially the well-known ones, rely on a vapor barrier or vapor retarder.
However, I keep thinking that a vapor barrier or retarder cannot simply make moisture disappear; it must stop the water somewhere, meaning moisture will accumulate. Additionally, the walls are completely airtight. So where does the moisture go?
The vapor barrier is always installed behind the assembly where the electrician and others run their installations.
I have now done some research online and, to be honest, I am quite worried.
What I absolutely want to avoid is moisture inside the walls and the related mold growth!
According to information and horror stories, moisture and mold usually appear where vapor retarders were installed incorrectly or were damaged during installation.
I would prefer to avoid using this film altogether because my common sense tells me it cannot be good to live in a "plastic wrap."
Is it possible to forgo a vapor retarder or vapor barrier in exterior walls?
If yes, what alternatives are there?
Am I imagining things, or is this a widespread concern?
blockhauspower1 Feb 2015 10:26Yes, because the uniform wall construction prevents dew points within the wall. Additionally, wood absorbs moisture and releases it again with a delay.
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tomatos6661 Feb 2015 10:46 🙂 Perfect! This is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for!
Basically, with a solid wood wall, you don’t have problems with mold growth.
With a wooden structure that includes a vapor barrier, it is possible...
Basically, with a solid wood wall, you don’t have problems with mold growth.
With a wooden structure that includes a vapor barrier, it is possible...
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MaxPower1301 Feb 2015 12:20Hello, that’s not entirely correct. If you have a window connection that is not properly constructed, you could also get mold there. And I haven’t seen mold in a wood frame wall like that if it is made and installed correctly by a professional company.
I also don’t quite understand why you are so worried.
I also don’t quite understand why you are so worried.
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