Tag: vapor barrier

  • What Happens When You Put a Plastic Vapor Barrier in Your Wall?

    Subtitle:  A look at the physics of humid air and cool surfaces Images:  A lot of people have heard advice about vapor barriers and vapor retarders. Many of them have walked away confused. A big part of the problem, I think, is that they’ve been told what to do — “Put it on the warm-in-winter…

  • Understanding Air Barriers, Vapor Barriers, and Drainage Planes

    Subtitle:  These three terms refer to different materials that are easy to confuse Images:  Is housewrap a vapor barrier? What’s the purpose of building paperTypically referring to Grade D building paper, this product is an asphalt-impregnated kraft paper that looks a lot like a lightweight asphalt felt. The Grade D designation has come to mean…

  • The History of Peeling Paint, Insulation, and Vapor Barriers

    Subtitle:  When painters objected to painting insulated houses in the 1930s, building scientists latched onto the wrong solution Images:  Back in the 1930s, a rash of paint-peeling showed up across North America. One thing that most of these homes had in common was insulation in the walls. Painters put two and two together and decided…