Visqueen Vapor Barrier Basement Walls

Making basements appropriate places to live is more complicated than you might assume.

Visqueen vapor barrier basement walls.

Because of this you ve likely asked yourself. As we mentioned earlier the basement is naturally humid because of its lower. Holes in the vapor barrier that allow humid air through may allow a lot more water vapor into an assembly than the vapor barrier is stopping. A common question people have when finishing a basement is should i use visqueen or plastic sheeting on one side or the other of the framed basement walls the answer is no.

The main concerns are condensation and drying potential. The science of moisture movement. In exterior walls that are below grade like basement walls. 1 on the interior wall between the heated and unheated portion of the basement i would not use with a vapor barrier.

Water vapor can pass through building materials in several ways including direct transmission and by heat transfer but studies suggest that fully 98 percent of the moisture transfer through walls occurs through air gaps including cracks around electrical fixtures and outlets and gaps along baseboards. Use the right vapor barriers. In winter the dew point of the interior air is typically about 50 f assuming an air temperature of 70 f and a relative humidity of 50. Should i install a vapor barrier in my basement.

Plastic will prevent moisture from moving through the wall. When a vapor barrier is on the side of a wall where the dry air is i e outside in winter or inside in summer moisture problems can occur. A vapor barrier reduces the movement of water vapor by diffusion.