My brother in law is finishing the inside of the garage at his new house with vapour barrier and drywall (and insulation of course). He asked, yesterday, if I thought he should put a vapour barrier on the wall of the garage that adjoins the house. The inside wall on the house will already have a vapour barrier.
So, is it a good or bad idea to have a vapour barrier on both sides of the wall. My initial thought was that it was not a good idea but then I started to second guess my first opinion because one would think it likely to be damper on the side in the garage.
What say the experts?
Randy
Replies
More info needed:
Where is your B-I-L located? Is the garage heated/air conditioned?
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Never on both sides of a wall.
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Assuming a cold to temperate climate, and that the garage is not heated, the vapor barrier should be omitted on the garage side of the common wall with the house. Probably wouldn't be the end of the world if it were installed, but it's unnecessary at best and potentially damaging if the water vapor gods aren't smiling on you.
I gotta agree with Piffin, never ever, doesn,t matter what else, you do not want a vapor barrier sandwich. it can only increase the chance of problems in that wall.
best luck,
"Mmmmm. Vapor barrier sandwich!" Homer Simpson
The garage is near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, so cold climate. The garage will not be heated all of the time but will be occasionally.
Randy
Occasional heating is no big deal, and doesn't change the equation.
Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! --Miguel de Cervantes
For what it's worth, I agree with Piffin and Fieldmaster--never put VB on bothe sides of any wall.