Vapor Retarders
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Most Common Vapor Retarder for Crawlspaces
Polyethylene sheeting is the preferred material for crawlspace encapsulation because it satisfies IRC requirements and is cost effective, readily available, and easy to install
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Vapor Retarders for Foundation Walls
Should you use a polyethylene vapor retarder on the interior of a foundation wall?
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Fiberglass Dust in the Attic
Fiberglass dust may have entered the HVAC system. Should the homeowner be worried about indoor air quality?
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Air Barrier for a Vented Roof
A detail for transitioning between an interior smart vapor retarder and exterior wall sheathing
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Vapor-Variable Membranes
An explanation of how 'smart' vapor retarders work, when they are needed, and the available products
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What Do We Do With This Roof?
A homeowner looks for the right way of detailing this cathedral ceiling
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Polyethylene Under Concrete Slabs
Does the poly vapor barrier belong above the rigid foam or below the rigid foam?
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Smart Vapor Retarders
Modern replacements for the troublesome old poly vapor barrier have low permeance in cool, dry weather, and high permeance in humid weather
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What’s Wrong With This Crawl Space?
Readers are invited to spot all of the problems shown in a photo of an old crawl space
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Deep Energy Retrofit: Focus on the Envelope
You can't expect to cut a home's energy use by 50% without a serious renovation of its exterior envelope. For all its components—walls, roof, foundation, slab—the details need to be worked out.
