HomeFocus.com Create Listing
Contractor Directory Talk Boards Ask the Expert Resource Library Top Real Estate Agents Home Plans
Home | Contact Us | Job Opportunities | Client Login


It's fast, easy
& free!

click here


Login

Username
Password

I forgot my password




Ren Molnar Bio



Ren Molnar Archive



Homefocus Archive


Expert Q Ren Molnar Q&A Archive
Top > Miscellaneous > Insulation

Question:

The vapour barrier in the attic is not continuous. Between each set of rafters there are great strips of brittle poly film with large gaps between them. In places there is more space than vapour barrier. In effect there is no vapour barrior. If I remove the insulation and place continuous strips on the drywall and up the rafters sealing the edges of the strips to the edges of the next strip as well as sealing all wire holes and other protruding will this be better than leaving it as it is.

Answer:

The answer is basically the same - gaps in VB are not good and if you can arrange to avoid them, you'll be farther ahead. In the situation you describe, I'd be tempted to lift the insulation, remove the sporadic VB and re-install the insulation and even add to it if you wish. The vapour barrier phase would better be addressed from underneath. This means applying a continuous layer to the uppermost ceiling of the house and then applying drywall over it. This seems very involved but the extra layer of drywall will also give you more bulk and that is important as a temperature retaining medium.

Remember, even if you don’t do your own work around the house have to hire someone, you put yourself at a great advantage when you can intelligently discuss a project with the various trades people.

"Ren’s Ren-O-Vations Tips"
is a monthly journal that talks everything to do with HOME OWNERSHIP & MAINTANENCE.

It is sent out in time to have it in your mailbox or on your computer by the 20th of the month – every month.

To order, simply send a cheque or money order to:
Ren,
P.O. Box 9411,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1G 3V1

E-mail – 12 issues (1 yr.) $17.95.
Regular mail – 12 issues (1 yr.) $33.95.
(subject to change without notice)
Credit card companies take a cut from payments so we are not credit card friendly - can't justify it.
Ren’s Ren-O-Vations Tips
makes the perfect gift any time for almost everyone:
Be My Valentine, Easter, Christmas, Mothers’ Day, Fathers' Day, Birthday, Wedding, Congratulations New Home Owner(s), Thinking Of you,
Good neighbour
Ren

Answered By: Ren Molnar

More Questions & Answers ...

1. Is it normal to have the insulation of the ceiling done before shingling for the roof? If some how the insulat ...
2. I have a cottage on an island with scissor trusses in an open cathedral ceilng. What is the best way to insula ...
3. after a fire, we had to replace the whole roof including trusses. We bagged the loose insulation that we remov ...
4. My new house has 1/2 pink rigid foam insulation (R2.5) glued to the perimeter walls of my basement (Ceiling to ...
5. I have a 50 year old home with a crawl space. I recently had the inside perimeter walls spray foam insulated.< ...
6. My mother's 50 year old house recently developed a bad mould problem. There is black mould in both upstai ...
7. We are renovating our upstairs bedrooms. There is no insulation up there at all. My problem is below the windo ...
8. I was listening to your show on Sept.23/2006 and you had mentioned a product that is a 3inch fiber and had an ...
9. I had asked about putting a steel roof on our mobile home over original aluminum roof and put 1 inch styrafoam ...
10. Your standard procedure for insulating basement walls is well explained - build a 2x4 wall 1.5 inches from the ...
11. Would you know the R-value of a hardwood floor vs a carpet+pad over a crawl space. I assume the carpet insulta ...
12. I was wondering can I clean attic mold myself and how and with what and so I have to replace all the insulatio ...
13. My house built in 1990 has loose insulation about three inches, but that's a guess. I believe code then w ...
14. Follow-up question. I'm confused one contrator tells me it's better to blow cellulose through a 2" h ...
15. The vapour barrier in the attic is not continuous. Between each set of rafters there are great strips of britt ...
16. When our house was build (1983), the basement walls were only finished half way down and the spacing between t ...
17. We are building a sauna in our basement. One of the sauna's walls will be outside. We would like to know ...
18. We have a bungalow built in the 50s. I think some insulation was put in the attic in the mid 70s - not sure ...
19. I'm moving and reinstalling an older hot tub outside that has a very thin coating of urethane foam on it. ...

Home Plans