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Insulating Shower Walls and Floor

mk10 | Posted in General Questions on

Should I insulate behind the shower walls and the floor?

Was planning on using rock wool the shower locations and the pink stuff everywhere else unless there is a reason to not use it (mostly because most all of it removed during demo is still in good condition)

Also just so i am clear no plastic should be installed in the shower areas, walls and floor correct?

thanks!

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Replies

  1. user-2310254 | | #1

    Mark,

    Are these exterior walls? Remind us where you are located.

    1. mk10 | | #3

      Steve,

      This would be for the interior walls only, the one exterior wall is insulated and drywalled.

      Also this will be a tiled walk-in shower with go board and a Schluter pan.

      I am located in Northern VT

  2. walta100 | | #2

    The big energy loss around showers in exterior walls is air leakage and there is almost never an air barrier behind the fiberglass units.

    Walta

  3. user-2310254 | | #4

    Mark,

    I think you want to follow good practices for air sealing and ventilation. On a couple of previous houses, I added insulation to the interior bathroom walls. But this additions were for soundproofing.

    On the GoBoard, I assume you are going to cover the entire wall and seal the seams. I've toured some production homes where the builders are using this product, but there are generally just installing a thin band at the bottom of the stall. (To rant, the cheapness in these homes, which were listing between $400K and almost $600K was truly astounding.)

  4. GBA Editor
    Kiley Jacques | | #5

    Hi Mark,

    There’s a related thread in the Fine Homebuilding forum on this topic that might be good food for thought: Do I need to put insulation between the joists under my shower?

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