Vapor Barrier Ceiling Below Attic

Almost 6 years by bv006343.

Vapor barrier ceiling below attic. Before the introduction of attic insulation attics in cold climates were poorly insulated and plastic ceiling vapor barriers were omitted. Now with attic insulation heat is no longer lost from the living space such that. In any case the vapor barrier must point to the warm side. Whether or not you need a vapor retarder hinges on three main factors your climate your home and the location of the wall you re insulating.

This acts as a barrier to keep heated moist air from rising up into the attic during cold weather. Attic insulation should always be installed with the paper backing facing toward the living space the ceiling in this case. Due to this inevitable fact it s actually better to omit a vapor barrier between the insulation and drywall of the ceiling below the attic. Some debate still occurs over how necessary vapor barriers are but a consensus is growing closer.

Most authorities now agree that vapor barriers are important under certain conditions but not necessarily as a whole house solution for every home. On the other hand an air barrier a properly detailed air tight drywall ceiling for example in the absence of a vapor barrier can be effective since it stops the flow of vapor laden air. The best approach for a vented attic in a cold climate is installing a layer of drywall with a good coat of latex paint the paint creates a semi permeable vapor barrier. A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter.

Basement ceiling vapor barrier. A vapor barrier in an attic assembly in a severely cold climate with the absence of an air barrier will likely be ineffective. The heat being lost from the house below warmed up the attic so that moisture was lost through the vents as vapor. 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.

The attic floor which is the ceiling of the living space below often already is insulated. Batting is either faced with paper that provides a vapor barrier or unfaced so you can add your. The attic studs and floor of the garage attic are configured in a way to allow the space to be finishe. To know if you need a vapor retarder ask yourself a few basic questions.