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Last Updated: , Created: Sunday, January 14th, 2001

Wet insulation in the basement.

Joan insulated her basement using dense insulation made for steel doors, then discovered moisture behind the vapour barrier and is worrying if it is the insulation that is causing the problem.

No Joan, there can be lots of reasons for moisture in a basement wall, and even the researchers are trying to figure out the absolutely best way to insulate a foundation wall, but the density of the insulation would not cause the problem.

Some typical reasons for moisture inside the insulated wall:

- Building with wet lumber;

- Moisture from outside coming through the wall and not being directed down under the wall by a "moisture barrier"from the ground level down;

- High humidity in the basement and holes in the vapour barrier, particularly electrical boxes that are not air tight, or insulation exposed at the bottom of the wall.

 


Keywords: Moisture, Vapour Barrier, Basement, Insulation

Article 1054