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Use of a Plastic Vapor Barrier

| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on November 26, 2002 09:19am

I am in the process of doing a 12X30 addition. The exterior walls are 2×6. Is it best to use paper backed insulation containing a vapor barrier or put in raw fiberglass and use a plastic vapor barrier to cover the entire wall? I am thinking the plastic vapor barrier is the best approach. However, my sheetrocker was going to glue and screw the sheetrock. With plastic on the wall the glueing is out of the question. I would think screwing should suffice. It has in the past. So, what is better: paper backed insulation and having the sheetrock glued and screwed or using a plastic vapor barrier and just screwing-in the sheetrock?

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  1. Piffin | Nov 27, 2002 02:36am | #1

    Plastic is in the contrast you describe.

    If you used fibreglas with kraft face, the tabs should be stitches on the face of the studs to act as a good vaporbar anyway. Don't let the rocker tell you how to insulate. His only intrest is getting the job done quicker. He'll just have to adapt to reality.

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.

    The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."

    --Marcus Aurelius

  2. woodroe | Nov 27, 2002 02:45am | #2

    The paper, or kraft face on insulation is a vapor retarder, not a vapor barrier. Use ufaced insulation and a poly (plastic) air/vapor barrier. If the screws pull the rock tight to the wall you shouldn't have any problems.

    steve

  3. Brudoggie | Nov 27, 2002 02:48am | #3

    We use poly vapor barier, then cut little " footballs" out of the poly, at random, on each stud. Then fill the cutouts with drywall adhesive. Once you get used to it, this works quite well. By the way, the glue should completely cover the cutout, so the vapor barier is still effective. Also don't overcut beyond the edge of the studs, try to stay on the face.

     Brudoggie

    1. Piffin | Nov 27, 2002 03:22am | #4

      What kind of glue? Have you done any checks on whether it damages the plastice over a period of time. The solvents in some glues can't be too healthy for the plastic. I can imagine that football hole getting bigger and bigger with time.

      Isn't the main reason for glue on SR to save time? All that manual football cutting and accurate glue placement must not help that time criteeeeria very much..

      Excellence is its own reward!

      "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.

      The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."

      --Marcus Aurelius

      1. Brudoggie | Nov 27, 2002 04:19am | #5

        The adhesive used doesn't attack the poly, as I've seen when remodeling in places where we did this a few years back. You're right though, I imagine if someone tried to use subfloor adhesive, it could be bad news. Ever seen someone try to glue foam to a foundation with that stuff? We don't use the glue to enhance the speed of the job, but to help eliminate screw pops. Yeah, it takes a little longer, but not much, once you're used to the process. Good call with the heads up on the glue! I generally use OSI drywall adhesive, in tubes.

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