Where does the moisture barrier go?
Good morning, all.
I’m in a 200+ yr old stone home with a 50+/- yr old addition. The addition was built by the farmer who owned the property then and it is sturdy, but unusual. The basement of the addition is a “walkout” garage – The rear is below grade and the front is at grade. The walls are block and the floor is concrete. The garage door slid on barn type tracks, and I have added a weathertight overhead door behind it. The garage is unheated.
In very wet weather I get some water in the garage. If I forget to clean the gutters religiously, I get a good bit more. Also, there is a dug well about 10 feet behind the below grade wall. The floor above the garage is cold in winter, and I’m thinking of insulating it, but am concerned about the humidity level in the garage. Any suggestions? Is heating the garage a better option? (I have hot water heat.)
Replies
Sorry about the confusion.
If I insulate the garage ceiling, where, in the situation I described, would I put the vapor barrier? Or should I not use one? Or should I seek another solution?
Retrofitting drainage around the garage foundation is not an option.
The moisture barrier always goes towards the conditioned living space. in you're case the kraft paper on faced insulation would be up, tight to the subfloor.
Also from what you described, Rainwater from the gutters is most likely contributing to water seeping into the foundation walls. I would attach a pipe to the end of the leaders and get the water as far away from the house as possible.
"The moisture barrier always goes towards the conditioned living space."
That is not true.
It depends on the climate.
In the deep south you would have water running down inside the walls if you did that.
This is probably a good case for using a vapor retarding material.
Sprayed foam would be the first choice, followed by densepack celuslose.
I stand corrected. In a heating climate (where one needs to heat their living space) the vapor barrier goes toward the conditioned living space.
Still the same answer for the OP, Kraft face up