Use Of Plastic Wall Sheets In Cold Climates

Vapor barriers are sheets of plastic or other material placed on one side of insulation sheets.

Use of plastic wall sheets in cold climates. For cold temperature applications where heat transfer is a concern it is also important to select a plastic material with. Mit school of engineering room 1 206 77 massachusetts ave. In very cold climates the use of polyethylene plastic vapor barriers between insulation and interior wallboard may be beneficial provided all air gaps into any wall and ceiling cavities are also blocked. This barrier is meant to keep moisture from getting to the insulation in the walls and ceilings and it is required by building codes when insulating most houses.

When designing plastic components for use in cryogenic conditions it is generally beneficial to select plastic materials that exhibit ductile behavior at low temperatures and have low rates of thermal expansion. This same process occurs inside the walls of your home. In cold weather a sheet of poly on the interior side of a wall probably won t cause any problems. By installing a sheet of poly there you cut off that drying mechanism and water that finds its way into walls can stay there longer and do more damage.

Cambridge ma 02139 4307 1 617 253 3291. Without a vapor barrier in place condensation inside the walls could ruin the. Cryogenic biotechnology machinery spaceflight hardware and low temperature physics equipment are sometimes required to operate at extremely cold temperatures. The sheet of poly still cuts off drying to the indoors but it keeps the water vapor in the humid indoor air away from the cold surfaces inside the wall.