Tag: vapor barrier
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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…
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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…
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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…