Putting Plastic Sheeting Over Insulation

Paper faced insulation is the same as using plastic vapor.

Putting plastic sheeting over insulation.

We use foil faced rigid insulation to keep the space under the house dry. To each is own some believe the plastic works better. Homeowners use plastic to cover their crawl spaces to control moisture and create a barrier against vapor. Soon water pours off the can.

Picture an ice cold can of soda on a sweltering hot day. This article will show you how to add 6 mil plastic sheeting on the ground and insulate the walls in your crawlspace. Stretch the plastic sheet tightly across the top of the wall and staple it to the studs and plates. The colder the contents the more beads of sweat that form on the sides.

If you want to put something on the bottom of the joists to hold the insulation in place use chicken wire landscape fabric or housewrap so any water vapor from inside the house can escape. The humid air is indoors. More use the plastic these days without paper faced insulation. Most insulation is made of fiberglass and fits into the walls between the studs before drywall is installed.

Install the plastic sheeting only after the insulation wiring and plumbing have been completed. If water vapor diffuses or infiltrates into the wall cavity and finds the cool surface moisture problems can occur. If you re referring to insulation in an attic you shouldn t put plastic sheeting over the top of it either for the same reason. How to install poly over insulation.

Overlapping paper tabs on faced insulation and stapling is why its on there. Without such a barrier condensation can infiltrate your home s walls and insulation creating a substantial risk of mold and mildew. Plastic on the outer surface of a wall in cold weather could cause problems. The best vapor barrier to use is roll of plastic sheeting.

Plastic sheeting can also help turn a crawl space into a usable storage area. The cool surface is the sheathing assuming no exterior insulation. Item 491792 model hslw12 400. If properly done this should not cause a condensation problem in the wall cavity unless you are leaking interior air thru gaps etc.

Plastic on the outside. 12 ft x 400 ft clear 0 31 mil plastic sheeting. Unfaced batt insulation friction fit between studs in walls with poly vapor barrier over walls and ceilings blown in attics with minimum r 40 insulation attention to detail.