I'm currently working on finishing my garage in Houston and using non-faced insulation for the walls. I'm a bit confused about whether I need to install a vapor barrier before adding the drywall or if it should go on top, or if I even need one at all. Any advice would be appreciated!
1 Answer
You really don't want a vapor barrier in your Houston garage. Seriously, either before or after the insulation, skip it. In our humid climate, the moisture tends to flow from the hot, humid air outside into the cooler, dryer inside. If you add a vapor barrier on the inside, you're just trapping that moisture and risking mold and rot in your walls. Also, according to local building codes, interior vapor barriers are discouraged in our climate zone because walls need to be able to dry out inwardly. So just go with unfaced batts and make sure to seal everything up tight. That's your best bet for keeping the garage cozy and dry. If you really want, consider smart vapor retarders for other spaces, but for a garage? Totally overkill!
Thanks for breaking that down! I learned a lot from your explanation.