Moisture Barrier trying to make sense of it

jpingram5 · Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:33 pm

After tracking down a water leak I had above my rear door I did remove some siding and I noticed there is no house wrap. I did cut a small section of drywall out inside and found that there is a layer of cardboard like material behind the drywall. Apparently this is the moisture barrier? Just want to hear so thoughts on this. I know Skyline had legal issues about moisture problems in there homes and many claimed it was the way they did their moisture barriers.

jpingram5 · Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:47 pm

Reason why I'm curious is because this class action was filed in 2009 and my home was built sometime early in 2009.

http://investing.businessweek.com/resea ... Id=4274195

Greg · Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:49 pm

If you read through the posts here you will find that very few manufacturers use a vapor barrier. I am not sure what HUD calls for, so I would guess that they aren't going to go too far beyond the HUD code. Many manufacturers don't use sheathing behind vinyl siding either I guess from what the posts here say.

I would say you have just found next summer's project!!

Greg

jpingram5 · Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:55 pm

Im sure they keep it bare minimum code. So if I had a vapor barrier on the inside and now I wrap the outside that wont cause any issues will it?

Greg · Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:58 pm

Just read the article, clear as mud.
In Most class action suits, the only people that gain anything from them is the lawyers. They usually only pay pennies on the dollar for any damages and take YEARS to settle. By the time they settle you have already done the repairs to make it right.

I would use a house wrap like Tyvec, it is a breathable barrier so moisture would not be trapped in the walls. I am sure Others may have different opinions and will add their thoughts

Greg

jpingram5 · Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:11 pm

I read some of the posts on here. My concern was if I have a vapor barrier on the interior already and I wrap the home on the exterior that would create a double vapor barrier which is bad from my understanding? Now given the Tyvec does breath so it won't trap moisture in it. Is that Tyvec considered a vapor barrier?

bobfather99 · Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:34 pm

As Mike from Holmes on Homes says, "Minimum code is just that, minimum code." Code is not necessarily the best solution, just enough to satisfy inspectors.

Anytime you have warm, dryer air(indoors) meet cooler, moist air(outdoors), water can condense on the surface. Moisture=mold. This is why a barrier is recommended. The moisture will condense on the outside of the barrier, and keep any surfaces on the inside dry and mold free.

jpingram5 · Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:13 pm

Right that makes sense to me. But what I don't get is I find a moisture barrier/a plastic vinyl on the ceiling and the appears one was laid throughtout the floor but yet nothing found on the walls that are exterior. Just a cardboard material on the inside behind the drywall. It goes Drywall/Cardboard/Insulation/Plywood/Vinyl Siding.

This cardboard material seems like it would absorb moisture? Why isnt there any vinyl plastic? See what I'm trying to get at. Yet they use the plastic on the ceiling and floors.

Greg · Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:47 pm

Stop and think from an engineering standpoint. If you have condensation on a sidewall it will run down and out the bottom. Now when you have condensation from the roof it also runs down, onto the ceiling.

Hey, it works on paper!!

Greg

jpingram5 · Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:34 pm

Thanks for the input! I got some idea now of how to go about it.

Dean3 · Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:02 pm

We worked on many ranch style houses (starting in the 80s mind you),my old boss said the walls got vapor barrier(heavy plastic) behind sheetrock and tyvek behind the outer wall sheeting but nothing on the ceiling so the house could slowly breathe through the ceiling,,his words,not mine,I'm mainly just a drywaller. I suppose the concrete basement was the lower vapor barrier. Nowadays with the "super insulated" houses and much improved air handling systems incorporated into heating/cooling systems vapor barriers can be a total wrap as long as the air handling incorporates some outside air into the mix. Maybe Robert can chime in on all that cause I could be way off.

I would agree with using tyvek on the exterior side of walls as I would consider it an added water/wind barrier,not exactly a vapor barrier. Maybe google "super insulated" and get some more ideas.

Your house construction is a system,if you consider changing some parts of the system then research beforehand to see how it affects the rest of it. One upgrade might require more upgrades to keep or raise effectiveness of the whole.