Stuck! What vapour control layer to use in an old house.

Joined
5 Jul 2011
Messages
223
Reaction score
1
Country
United Kingdom
Im stripping the inside of an old house back to the stone walls and framing it and then insulating with sheeps wool, floor, walls and ceilings.

Ive been advised to use a vapour control layer on the walls. Pro Clima Intello Plus and Tyvek Airgaurd have been recomended. Rolls of this stuff are extortionate, really very expensive at about £150 a roll! Is this really needed?

Thought about foil backed plasterboard instead but many people complain about problems with wireless devises, phones etc

There are so many products out there and so much literature its impossible to make a quick informed decision!

Hopefully you can help.

Thanks
 
Sponsored Links
so are you suggesting all these modern membranes are a waste of money and have no benefit?
 
Probably

If you need a vapour check membrane, then you need something impervious, so whether that is foil backed plasterboard, foil faced insulation board, or good old polyphene, it all does the same job.

Obviously, manufacturers would prefer you to use their expensive new products
 
Sponsored Links
so are you suggesting all these modern membranes are a waste of money and have no benefit?

:LOL:

How could you suggest such a thing!

The idea of these membranes when they were developed, was that when condensation formed behind the inside membrane, they would intelligently open their cells up, to allow it to permeate back into the room.

The obvious flaw being, that if you do it right, you don't get condensation behind the membrane, and if you do, you have done something very very wrong.

There was one situation where someone put non breathable materials on the cold side (causing condensation), so that I recommended these membranes to be used as a sticking plaster solution, otherwise I see no purpose to them.

Plastic fantastic polythene has been used for donkeys years, and works.
 
If you're framing out and insulating on the interior, you want a vapour check membrane to stop warm moist air passing through the plasterboard & insulation and condensing on your cold walls.

500 gauge visqueen or foil backed plasterboard will suffice.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top