I am building a combination woodshop, office and garage in a new post and frame (i.e. “pole”) structure which has Tyvek underneath the steel siding and the walls insulated to R23. The insulation is unfaced textile batting (R-19) plus 2″ pink styrofoam (R-4.)
My question is, “Should I apply a visqueen vapor barrier over the styrofoam before applying the carsiding finish interior? Or, would I be creating an envelope trapping moisture between two vapor barriers…the Visqueen and the Tyvek?
Replies
You are going to need to post where in the country you are located to get an accurate answer. After you do, the savants around here will answer your question in a heartbeat.
I am located in North Central indiana about 50 miles due north of Indianapolis.
The pink foam IS a VB if you tape the seams.
Curious - what is textile insulation?
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Piffin,
The pink foam is a vapor barrier whether or not he tapes the seams.
Taping the seams is beneficial for a different reason -- it turns the foam into an air barrier.
Textile insulation is batting made from recycled cloth fiber materials. It is similar to fiberglass but is more coarse and does not fragment into airborne particles nearly as bad as fiberglass. It is also less irritating (scratchy) to handle. I bought it from FBi Buildings who erected my building. It came in 8' wide rolls that fit between the outer wall posts. It is made somewhere in Northern Indiana.
feeb,
no vapor barrier (poly or visqueen) since you already have one in the styrofoam!! Tyvek is not a vapor barrier just an air barrier.
Geoff