Installing Foamboard and the Vapor Barrier
The Thanksgiving holiday was good for many reasons, including time spent with J's parents. It was also a good chance to make more progress upstairs...
The Challenge
I'd recently insulated the walls and the primary attic space. However, I hadn't yet insulated the peak of the vaulted ceiling in our master bedroom. It had its own unique challenges--a space filled with duct work from our SpacePak air conditioning system.
Because of all the duct work taking up space, there wasn't enough room to use traditional fiberglass insulation at the peak of the ceiling...
...we needed something else...
Our Solution
Compressed foamboard insulation is designed for just these situations. Foamboard comes in a range of R-values and thicknesses. We chose Johns Manville's 1" R-6.5 foil-faced insulation (it was a regular stocked item at our local Menards). By stacking the boards 5 high, we achieved an overall total of R-32.5. That's just a bit more than the 10" R-30 fiberglass insulation we used on the slated ceilings, but in half of the vertical space.
The insulation went in pretty easily--I cut pieces to fit between each joist. Sometimes I had to do a few extra cuts to work my way around the electrical conduit.
After installing the foamboard across the peak of the ceiling, I had to go back and stuff 10" unfaced fiberglass insulation in to fill the gaps. I also used reflective duct tape to seal the gaps along all of the foamboard edges.
After completing the insulation, I had time to start installing the vapor barrier. On the advice of our educated readers, we're supplementing our kraft-paper vapor barrier with a 4 mil polyurethane polyethylene wrap. It will prevent humidity within the house from working its way through the insulation and into the walls, damaging the insulation or rotting our wood.
I finished everything off by sealing the plastic edges with red house wrap tape. By late this evening, the master bedroom looked like this:
I liked installing the vapor barrier--it went quickly so it was easy to feel productive! ;-)
Caveat: Many professionals have different ideas about insulation and ventilation. Do your research and choose a method appropriate to your specific house and climate. Your mileage may vary. :)
Cabinet Refacing:
Face Your Kitchen | Your Guide to Kitchen Cabinet Refacing |
Looking for More?