Found 35 results for the keyword(s) ‘Vapour Barrier’

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  Air Spaces in Walls -- Myth and Science -- Overview

    Walls often have air spaces hidden somewhere between the siding on the outside and the drywall on the inside.  Some are accidental -- some on purpose, even code required -- some served a purpose at one time in history but because of the evolution of construction, are no longer useful -- some a...
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  What is an air tight electrical box?

  We all know that electrical boxes are the often the source of cold air drafts. They are equally the route by which warm moist air escapes from our houses. In fact, the National Research Council of Canada has calculated that up to 30 litres of water can pass through a single electrical box in one ...
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  Insulating problems with historical buildings

  Hello Jon I am the chairman of a church committee with the task of raising money, and doing the admin. for the restoration at St Andrew United. My concern now is the proper procedure to fully insulate the Church. I am alright with the Attic as well as the crawl space, however I am pondering the...
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  Just how do you install windows properly?

  The reality is that there is not just one good way to install windows, but there are certain principles that must be taken care of with any installation to prevent cold air or water leakage later. Basically a window installation must shed most of the water with the siding, what does get through ...
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  Insulating a Cathedral Ceiling - OVERVIEW

  Hello Jon, I have a cathedral ceiling with a shingled roof. If I insulate the roof air tight, will the shingles lift and curl as they do on poorly ventilated roofs? The other thought is leaving an 1 1/2 inch space between the roof deck and the insulation  and installing a ridge vent, which give...
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  What is the difference between a vapour barrier and an air barrier?

  It's become very important to understand the difference between a vapor barrier and an air barrier. If we completely seal a polyethylene sheet on the warm side of the insulation, we call it a combined air/vapor barrier. But it's possible to put the vapor barrier on the warm side of the insulati...
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  Insulating an above grade block wall from the inside

  This article deals with a block wall above grade.  For a below grade block wall see Basement Perimeter Drainage and Leaking Foundations.   Bryan is faced with a totally un-insulated cinder block wall with 1x2 strapping and a plaster covering.  He is thinking about stripping it back to the block...
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  MYTH: INSULATING HOT WATER LINES IN HEATED BASEMENTS WILL SAVE MONEY.

  Insulating hot water lines that run through a heated basement or crawl space sounds logical, but in fact it will same you little or no money. The infrequency of their use lets them cool off whether they are insulated or not, and the heat is converted to useful room heat anyway. The exception is ...
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  MYTH: VAPOUR BARRIERS CAUSE INSIDE CONDENSATION PROBLEMS.

  False. Vapour barriers, together with air barriers, prevent moisture from escaping into the walls. In this sense vapour barriers make you more aware of the quantity of moisture you have generated in your house. Condensation problems are caused by generating too much moisture and/or having too ...
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  Vapour barriers and Showers

  There is a lot of debate about whether to put a vapour retarder (vapour barrier) on an insulated wall behind shower tiles.  The code has not historically been specifically clear on this so we get lots of different interpretations.  What the code does say clearly is that we should not have two vap...