basement vapor barriers…part 4? 5? 6?
i lost track on the number of conversations regarding basement vapor barriers.
I THOUGHT I finally had things figured out. After 4 trips to the city inspectors with print outs of FHB articles, Building Science Research papers, And web site URLs, they finally agreed that the rigid foam + steal stud method is viable for finishing old basements.
Today I was hauling all the insulation and studs in and the inspector shows up and we start chatting.
His advice? I bet you guessed it…be sure to put in a vapor barrier!
I explained the whole process to him again and he said there’s no REQUIREMENT that I have one in this instance, he strongly suggests it based on the fact that there’s no way to get the insulation perfectly flat/sealed against the foundation wall (as they are a bit rough).
He claims the VB is a ‘last line of defense’ that I should consider.
Any last thoughts from the collective wisdom of breaktime? Do I change my mind once again based on Mr. Inspector or just get to gluing?
Replies
Funny...or not.
With steel, a VB will at least get you rust instead of mold & decay.
I've mentioned that hear the BI's do not understand this basic stuff. I have to install the VB to pass inspection...then I tear it off after they leave.
You can spray foam any gaps around your EPS and use housewrap tape on your seams too.
Have at it.
If you can't seal you foam so that moist air can't get behind it how are you going to seal a separate vapor barrier so that moist air can't get behind it?
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Bill/Bass:Yep. I agree with you.And yea, given that it took me FOUR trips to the BI office to 'train' them on modern building sciences to get them to sign off on the permit, I'm going to err on my/FHB's Experts side. ;o)I always thought one would become a building inspector because they're interested in BUILDING, rather than red tape and the status quo. Obviously I'm wrong. ;o)