Vapor Barrier

[gmhill33]

What kind of tape do you all use to tape around the light switches, receptacles, and the seam of the plastic? I am using 4mil plastic.


Thanks,
Gary

 

[Colin-Roberts]

Tuck Tape is a popular option in canada i'd imagine it's the same in the usa

 

[gmhill33]

I bought two rolls of the gray.

Gary

 

[KevDawg]

I used Tuck Tape.
But again I'm in Canada

 

[1984GMC]

I got to thinking , With my garage I have a big *** 16x8 door that doesn't seat well at the bottom, I really don't see the need in vapor barrier in my garage with a huge *** hole in the wall.

 

[scooby074]

Red TuckTape. AKA contractors tape.

Its a great multipurpose tape. I use it for everything. Expensive though. But it sticks like glue

 

[jake26]

I got to thinking , With my garage I have a big *** 16x8 door that doesn't seat well at the bottom, I really don't see the need in vapor barrier in my garage with a huge *** hole in the wall.

Isn't a vapor barrior to protect the insulation from moisture? I think without it, mold will occur. Not sure what your garage door has to do with that.

 

[1984GMC]

No vapor barrier in the attic insulation......Why just the walls, I already have tyvec on the outside.

 

[mmhouse]

Isn't a vapor barrior to protect the insulation from moisture? I think without it, mold will occur. Not sure what your garage door has to do with that.

I'd say yes and no. It is there to prevent moisture from migrating through the wall and condensing at the point within the wall where the dew point is reached. This is necessary in a house because cooking, bathing and just living (i.e. breathiong) produce moisture which builds up producing vapor pressure. The moisture will migrate wherever it can to get to the drier outside air. This is controlled through sealing areas where moisture shouldn't go (i.e. wall cavities) and providing venting (usually mechanical) such as vent fans or even air-to-air heat exchangers.

In the garage he probably isn't producing that much moisture. In addition, because the door is large and not well sealed he is probably getting a lot of air exchange just around the door. The garage is also probably not kept at as high a temperature as the house so the garage air won't hold as much moisture (warm air will hold more moisture than cooler air).

So, it may not be problem for him not to have a vapor barrier in the garage depending upon what he does out there, how warm he keeps it and how much air exchange he's getting around his door and other places (often garages have holes designed in a wall for combustion air for a furnace, water heater or other fuel burning appliance).

All that said, normally these days garages are built with a vapor barrier just like the house as a precaution against moisture condensing in the walls or ceiling.

 

[jake26]

Thanks MMHouse, I will be insulating my garage in the next month and through reading advice on this forum, I bought vapor barrior for the job. Basically for $60 for my 24 x 25 garage, I can have some piece of mind for moisture and mold.

At least I was half right ... or half wrong.

 

[rod725020]

If the vapor barrier is going to be covered up, then any old tape will due, if it's exposed and you don't want to spend a lot of money, then I would go with packaging tape.