For a chart of vapor retarders by climate zone see the naima s insulation and vapor retarders in crawl spaces install a class i vapor barrier such as a vinyl liner on walls and floor.
Does roxul need a vapor barrier in attic.
Youll see that i mention roxul a lot in that tutorial but roxul is exactly the same as rockwool.
In this moisture prone space you don t want water vapor from the ground drying to the inside of your home.
After the insulation is in place you will want to add a vapor retarder sometimes called a vapor barrier if you need one.
Vapor barriers installed on the interior side of assemblies impede them from drying toward the interior this is a problem for air conditioned spaces and can be an issue when there is also a vapor impermeable material installed on the assembly s exterior creating a double vapor barrier wall assembly.
It is important to note that air control is more important than vapor control.
And by the way if you re remodeling a shower and use rockwool with kerdi board or wedi s shower system there s no need for a vapor barrier.
I am in zone 4 right on the edge of zone 5 in long island ny.
Roxul would be my choice for a batt insulation.
Moisture transport by air is significantly higher 100x than moisture transport by diffusion.
I ve read that i need to use a vapor barrier but i ve also read that vapor barriers can cause houses to be moldy or can cause rot inside the walls because the walls cannot dry out properly.
No you don t need a vapor retarder class i or otherwise.
Provide greater r value per inch which can be important if you need to add r 19 in a 2 x 4 framed wall for example.
The vapor barrier does not need to be sealed to function adequately.
Seal the air leakage pathways.
I am doing a complete renovation of my house right now and i ve chosen to insulate with roxul comfort batts.
The downsides are the higher cost per ft.
Sup 2 sup and the need to install a separate vapor barrier.
Not every wall does.
If your climate does not meet these conditions a vapor retarder like latex ceiling paint will work well for your house if you are in all other climates except the hot dry and hot humid.
A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter.
A plastic vapor barrier is best installed in a vented attic within climates with over 8 000 heating degree days.
This is primarily due to the kerdi board or wedi.