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Do I need to worry about kitchen cabinets creating vapor trap?

Reid Baldwin | Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on

I have 2″ of faced EPS on the exterior of my walls. Will installing kitchen cabinets on an exterior wall in the conventional fashion create a moisture trap? The cabinet supplier is going to measure in the next couple days and then order cabinets. If I need to back-ventilate the cabinets, I need to specify that now so they can account for it.

I mentioned this to the builder’s assistant while we were at the house together the other day. His response was basically “why would there be moisture in that wall?” The sink and dishwasher will be in the island, so there will not be any plumbing in that wall. There will be a hood vent through that wall.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Reid,
    The concern you raise only applies to air-conditioned houses with walls that are susceptible to inward solar vapor drive. Walls with exterior rigid foam are not susceptible to inward solar vapor drive -- very little water vapor can enter your wall from the exterior, because of the rigid foam -- so you are fine. No need to worry.

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