Vapour Barrier Installation Gariepy Edmonton

Vapour barrier in Gariepy, sealed as a continuous plane

A vapour barrier only works as a continuous plane. In Gariepy the failures are almost never the sheet itself — they are the electrical boxes, the top and bottom plates, the window returns and the penetrations, where the poly is cut and not resealed.

• Left ready for inspection before boarding
• Window and door returns detailed properly
• Seams lapped at framing and sealed, not just taped
• Electrical boxes poly-hatted and sealed
• Rim joists air-sealed before insulating
• Poly on the warm side of the insulation

Vapour Barrier Installation Gariepy Edmonton

Inspecting it before it is covered

Gariepy drywall in context

Bathrooms, kitchens and the wet rooms

Where the barrier meets the ceiling and the floor

The parts an inspector looks at first

Seams belong on framing

Never two barriers

Simple, clean, on schedule — Vapour Barrier Installation in Gariepy Edmonton

Vapour Barrier Installation Gariepy Edmonton: your questions answered

Is a basement wall done the same way as an upstairs wall?

No. A basement wall can take moisture from the ground too, so poly detailed like an above-grade wall can trap moisture against the concrete. The insulation is held off the concrete so the wall can dry, with vapour control on the warm side.

What if there is already a vapour barrier in the wall?

We tie into it, and we check whether there is a second one somewhere that would trap moisture between the two. Older Gariepy renovations quite often have both, and finding that before boarding is worth the hour.

What about outlets on exterior walls?

Each one is a deliberate hole. They need poly hats or airtight boxes sealed to the sheet. Taping poly to the front of an ordinary box does not last once board is fastened over it, and it is the most common leak we find.

Can you install the barrier if someone else did the insulation?

Yes, but we check the insulation first. A barrier over a poorly filled cavity locks the problem in, and once the board is on neither can be corrected without opening the wall.

Does it matter where the sheet meets the ceiling and floor?

It is the whole job. Left loose at the top or bottom plate, warm air simply goes over or under a perfectly installed sheet. The junction into a vaulted ceiling is the most commonly skipped and the wettest point in the room.

Which side does the vapour barrier go on?

The warm side of the insulation. Through an Alberta winter moisture pushes outward from the heated space, and the barrier stops it before it reaches a cold surface where it can condense.