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Worries About Trapping Moisture

While some types of wall assemblies and roof assemblies are risky, many worries about trapping
moisture are baseless

POSTED ON DEC 2 2016 BY MARTIN HOLLADAY

A significant number of questions posted by readers

on the GBA site are variations of, Will this wall detail
(or roof detail) trap moisture?

When I entered trap moisture into the GBA search

box, I got 182 results. The search terms trapping
moisture yielded another 104 results. Clearly, there
is a high level of concern around the issue.

Many of these worries are baseless. Most worries

arise from the presence of a vapor-impermeable
layer for example, polyethylene, rigid foam, or a
foil-faced product somewhere in the building
assembly. But the presence of one of these products
isnt necessarily risky. For a product to contribute to
a moisture problem or, to use the popular phrase,
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Heres how a building scientins would express this concept: You wont have a problem unless the rate of
wetting exceeds the rate of drying.

Misunderstandings about trapping moisture occur when homeowners fail to think about basic moisture Join our Facebook Posse!
drive mechanisms and drying mechanisms. If youre interested in figuring out these puzzles for yourself,
ask yourself these questions:
GreenBuildingAdvisor.
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Where do I think the moisture is coming from?
Am I worried about the entry of liquid water or water vapor?
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Calculating the Minimum Thickness Establishing some basic information

of Rigid Foam Sheathing
Worries about moisture traps are often based on myths. Lets
set the record straight.

Water doesnt need to escape from your house. Although its true that indoor air is warm and humid
during the winter, while outdoor air is cold and dry, that doesnt mean that indoor moisture needs to
escape from your house. Its perfectly OK if the indoor moisture stays where it is without escaping.
Some old-time carpenters look at walls that include a layer of rigid foam and exclaim, That wont work!
If you put in a layer of foam, the moisture will have nowhere to go! Moisture in your home isnt like your
retired parents in Michigan on New Years Day, itching to go to Florida. The moisture can stay right where
it is, all winter long.

Sometimes a polyethylene vapor barrier is needed. The classic example: you need to have a layer
of polyethylene under your basement slab. Even if there is lots of moisture under the slab that wants to
escape, letting that moisture into your house is a bad idea.

The rule against double vapor barriers should be applied with common sense. Since the
1970s, builders have been taught that you dont want double vapor barriers. But this rule only applies
to certain types of assemblies usually wood-framed assemblies and only applies when the two vapor
barriers are on opposite sides of the wall.

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When is it OK to have two vapor barriers? Lots of times. For example, insulated concrete forms have rigid
foam on both sides of the wall but since concrete isnt harmed by moisture, having rigid foam on both
sides of the wall is just fine. Heres another example: if you stack up several layers of foil-faced polyiso
on one side of a wood-framed wall, the multiple vapor barriers dont cause any problems. Sure, each
layer of polyiso has two layers of aluminum foil, so two layers of polyiso has four vapor barriers. So what?
The vapor permeance of one layer of this product is already close to zero. Two layers is still zero. More
vapor barriers in the stack are just fine. You can even add a layer of polyethylene in the stack if you feel
like it although I dont know why youd want to without causing any problems due to the multiple
vapor barriers.

Condensation (or moisture accumulation) happens on cold surfaces, not warm surfaces. Thats
why polyethylene (which has no R-value) is riskier than foil-faced polyiso (which has a significant R-
value). If there is a layer of polyethylene in a wall, the polyethylene might (under some circumstances)
get cold. If it does, it may become a condensing surface. But if there is a layer of foil-faced polyiso in the
wall, the rigid foam separates the cold side of the wall from the warm side of the wall. (Theres usually
more moisture on the warm side of a wall assembly than on the cold side of a wall assembly. During the
winter, indoor air is more humid than outdoor air. During the summer, outdoor air is more humid than
indoor air.) The warm side of the polyiso may be humid, but the humid air has little or no contact with
the cold side of the polyiso, so condensation is unlikely.

To sum up, remember two important points: (1) a vapor barrier with significant R-value is always safer
than a vapor barrier without any R-value, (2) water vapor wont condense on polyethylene or aluminum
foil unless the surface is cold.

Its important to understand the difference between air leakage and vapor diffusion. Moisture-
laden air can enter a wall or roof assembly through cracks or other defects in the homes air barrier. But
water vapor can also enter a wall or roof assembly by diffusion. Vapor diffusion through building materials
can occur even when the wall is airtight. For more information on the distinction between air leakage and
vapor diffusion, see All About Vapor Diffusion.

Its important to understand how damp wall assemblies and damp roof assemblies dry out.
There are two important drying mechanisms for damp building components: diffusion drying and
ventilation drying. For example, consider a 2x6 wall insulated with fiberglass batts. The interior is finished
with drywall (without any polyethylene). The exterior has OSB sheathing, housewrap, and fiber-cement
siding. If the house was framed during a rainy summer, and the studs start out wet, the wall assembly
can easily dry by diffusion in both directions, even if the wall is airtight. Water vapor can pass through
the drywall into the interior of the house; thats inward diffusion drying. Water vapor can also pass
through the OSB (at a slower rate than it passes through the drywall), the housewrap, and the fiber-
cement siding; thats outward diffusion drying.

The second type of drying, ventilation drying, is the most important type of drying that occurs in a
rainscreen gap. If the rainscreen is properly designed, with air intakes at the bottom of the wall and air
outlets at the top of the wall, then air will rise up the rainscreen cavities (due to the stack effect)
whenever the sun is shining on the wall. This flow of air helps dry out the materials facing the cavity,
including the back side of the siding and the exterior side of the sheathing.

Vented cathedral ceilings also depend on ventilation drying to dry damp roof sheathing.

Many components in a wall occasionally get wet. Occasional wetting isnt a problem, as long as the rate of
drying exceeds the rate of wetting. When trying to assess whether occasional wetting will hurt a wall,
consider all of the available drying mechanisms: inward diffusion drying, outward diffusion drying, and
ventilation drying.

Looking at some sample questions

Now that weve established a few background facts, lets look at some questions from GBA readers.

Can cellulose trap moisture? C. Clark wrote, I am very concerned about building in humid climate.
Preventing condensation and the mold that comes with it are our primary concern, even over energy
efficiency. I read the cellulose insulation can trap moisture, which steered me away from it and to
fiberglass.

Clarks concern is vague, but is evidently based on worries that cellulose can absorb moisture. But lots of
building components, including studs and joists, can absorb moisture and most homeowners dont
worry about their studs and joists. As long as the wall and roof assemblies are properly designed, there is
no reason to believe that cellulose insulation will get wet.

Can polyiso trap moisture? Mark Galezo asked, Do you see any issues with the polyiso on the exterior
[of the wall], acting as a vapor barrier? Wouldnt this trap moisture in the cellulose and create a problem
eventually even though cellulose is tolerant to moisture?

Galezo is under the opposite impression as Clark. Whereas Clark thinks that the fact that cellulose can
absorb moisture is a problem, Galezo sees it as a virtue. (Really, its neither a problem nor a virtue. Its
just a property of cellulose.) Galezos confusion arose from the mistaken idea that a wall with exterior
rigid foam needs to be able to dry to the exterior. It doesnt. The most important factor determining
whether this type of retrofit will work is the thickness of the rigid foam. (The rigid foam needs to have a
high enough R-value to keep the sheathing above the dew point during the winter. For more information
on this issue, see Combining Exterior Rigid Foam With Fluffy Insulation.)

Can EPS or XPS trap moisture? Dave Ely asked, Does EPS, XPS or open cell spray foam have a high
enough perm rating to not trap moisture in the wall? My experience tells me not to do it. But the
manufacturers tell me these foams are vapor semi-permeable materials.

Ely was involved in a retrofit job that required rigid foam to be installed on the exterior side of the wall.
His confusion is the same as Galezos. Since this type of wall doesnt need to dry to the exterior, the

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vapor permeance of the rigid foam layer is irrelevant.

Can Intello Plus trap moisture? Eric Whetzel wrote, Our 2x6 wall assembly with Roxul batts will
include Zip sheathing and an Intello Plus vapor retarder. Were shooting for a Passive House level of
airtightness, so is there any risk the Intello and Zip Sheathing could trap moisture in the wall assembly?

Whetzels worries are based on several misconceptions. Evidently, he is worried that Zip sheathing and
Intello Plus are vapor barriers. In fact, both materials are vapor-permeable. Zip sheathing has a
permeance of 2 to 3 perms not a lot, but enough to allow some outward drying (albeit at a slow rate).
Intello Plus is a smart vapor retarder with variable permeance; if it ever gets damp, its vapor permeance
rises to 13 perms. So this wall assembly can dry in both directions. (Note as well that Whetzel failed to
describe a mechanism whereby the wall assembly would ever get wet.)

Can exterior insulation trap moisture? Jayne wrote: My existing home is a 12-year old one-story
ranch with 2x6 walls and fiberglass insulation. My biggest worry is the exterior. They used OSB sheathing
with vinyl siding over it without any Tyvek or felt paper. What about [installing] insulation on the exterior
would that only trap moisture? I lay awake at night wondering what to do.

Jaynes worries are groundless. Adding an adequately thick layer of rigid foam to the exterior side of the
OSB sheathing would reduce rather than increase the chance that the OSB will get wet. Right now, the
OSB is exposed to rain that gets past the siding. An adequately thick layer of exterior rigid foam wont
trap moisture; it will keep the OSB warm and dry.

Can EPS on both sides of a CMU wall trap moisture? Philip Faucher wrote, I am insulating inside a
concrete block barn with 2-inch EPS. I was planning to insulate the exterior with 1 1/2 inch rigid foam to
get up to minimum code R-value, put strapping on that, and then wood siding. Will the exterior foam trap
moisture that may collect between the foam and block?

Fauchers worries are groundless. He failed to ask himself two important questions: Where would this
worrisome moisture come from? and Even if the concrete blocks get wet, so what? Of course, any wall
should be designed with an exterior cladding and flashing system to keep rain from penetrating the wall,
and Fauchers wall is no exception. But its perfectly acceptable to encase concrete or concrete block with
rigid foam on both sides thats done all the time with an ICF wall.

Can a interior polyethylene vapor barrier adjacent to rigid foam trap moisture? Albert Orchard
wrote, Weve had several recommendations for how best to air-seal our tongue-and-groove ceiling.
Some contractors have recommended using a plastic vapor barrier, and putting rigid foam boards on the
interior side of that, but I understand that the vapor barrier could trap moisture above the ceiling boards,
leading to mold and rot.

Orchards worries are groundless. Evidently, Orchard has heard that a building assembly can have
problems if it has a double vapor barrier. He seems worried that there is a layer of polyethylene
adjacent to the rigid foam. These adjacent vapor barriers wont cause problems. If vapor is stopped by
the rigid foam, than an adjacent layer of polyethylene does not harm. The flow of water vapor is stopped
in either case.

Moreover, inward solar vapor drive wont be a problem because the rigid foam and polyethylene stop
the inward flow of water vapor during the summer before it can reach an air-conditioned surface.

The only conceivable way that water could reach the polyethylene is if the roof develops a leak. But of
course, every imaginable type of ceiling assembly will get wet if the roof leaks. Thats hard to avoid.

Can horizontal rigid foam above a basement slab trap moisture? Howard Kelly wrote: We have a
walk-out basement. From mid-May through mid-September, we get condensation on the concrete floor.
Can a layer of foam be put down over the concrete, and then flooring on sleepers over that? I do not
want to trap moisture and cause mold.

This worry seems to be based on the mistaken belief that the moisture under a slab needs to escape. It
doesnt. A layer of rigid foam keeps the moisture in the soil from entering the house. It also makes sure
that humid summer air cant reach the cold slab, where it might condense.

Can closed-cell spray foam in a flash-and-batt wall trap moisture? Justin Terry wrote, Well have
roughly 3 inches of [closed-cell spray] foam for a very airtight [flash-and-batt] wall. With adding
fiberglass on top of the closed-cell foam, doesnt that have the potential to trap moisture in the wall
cavity between the foam and fiberglass?

As long as Terrys layer of spray foam is thick enough and it is his worries are groundless. Water
vapor wont condense against the interior surface of the cured spray foam, because the surface will stay
too warm to allow condensation to form.

Are all worries about trapping moisture baseless?

Can some building assemblies trap moisture? Of course. Here are a few examples:

A wall with brick veneer touching fiberboard sheathing, 2x4 studs insulated with fiberglass, and
interior polyethylene will be subject to inward solar vapor drive during the summer. If the house is
air conditioned, moisture will condense against the cool polyethylene, and collect in puddles on the
bottom plate. The rate of moisture accumulation can easily exceed the rate of outward diffusion
drying. Examples of wall failures caused by this mechanism are shown in When Sunshine Drives
Moisture Into Walls.
A wall exposed to wind-driven rain that includes a major flashing defect can introduce large
quantities of rain into the wall. The rate of moisture accumulation will often exceed the rate of
outward diffusion drying or inward diffusion drying. Examples of wall failures caused by this
mechanism are shown in All About Wall Rot.
If an unvented cathedral ceiling insulated with fiberglass batts has leaky recessed can lights and air
leaks near the roof ridge, moist indoor air can enter the roof assembly through the leaky light
fixtures, and moisture from the indoor air can condense on the cold roof sheathing during the winter.
In this type of roof, the rate of moisture accumulation will often exceed the rate of ventilation drying
or diffusion drying. An example of a roof failure caused by this mechanism is shown in How to Build
an Insulated Cathedral Ceiling.

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The bottom line: moisture traps exist. But before you jump to any conclusions concerning moisture traps,
consider (a) where the moisture might be coming from, (b) whether this moisture is likely to accumulate,
and (c) whether existing drying mechanisms are sufficient to handle occasional wetting episodes.

Martin Holladays previous blog: Cold Floors and Warm Ceilings.

Click here to follow Martin Holladay on Twitter.

TAGS: CONDENSATION, MOISTURE TRAP, POLYETHYLENE, TRAPPING MOISTURE, VAPOR BARRIER

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4
COMMENTS

1. Tile Shower on Exterior Wall

DEC 2, 2016 by Eric Burhop
12:08 PM ET
We are building an EIFS wall in Zone 5 with 4" ext. foam and interior 5.5" Roxul
batts.
The shower stall is on two exterior walls and will have a vapor barrier.
This creates a wall cavity with two vapor barriers.

Drying by diffusion seems to only be able to work through studs, top and bottom
plates.
Ventilation is also only available via any gaps between studs, top and bottom plates.

Is this an issue?

2. Not all foams are vapor barriers.

DEC 2, 2016 by Dana Dorsett
3:51 PM ET
At 4" unfaced type-II EPS is still over 0.5 perms, which is more vapor permeable
than 2x timber, and more than half as permeable as dry half-inch OSB. The vapor
permeance of the EIFS finish varies, and that (more so than the foam) would be
what makes the difference.

But even if air leaks into the vapor-trap stud bays, with 4" of foam on the exterior
the sheathing stays warm enough to not collect moisture. The only real risk is from
bulk water incursions.

To prevent convective transfer of moisture into the stud bays you really need to
caulk "...any gaps between studs, top and bottom plates..." with a high quality
polyurethane caulk, since that presents a higher risk (and bigger heat loss), than
the interior side vapor barrier.

3. other directions?
DEC 2, 2016 by Jon R
5:14 PM ET
My guess is that your interior side sheathing won't form a perfect air seal against
EDITED DEC 3,
2016 3:58 PM the studs and when there is a humidity difference between the shower stud cavities
ET. and adjacent (presumably permeable drywall covered) ones, air will flow
horizontally, causing drying (it doesn't take much). You could do something to
encourage such flow (a thin mesh layer between the sheathing and the studs?).

This is worth reading:

https://buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-146-eifs-problems-and-...

4. Response to Eric Burhop

DEC 3, 2016 by Martin Holladay
4:59 AM ET
Eric,
EDITED DEC 3,
2016 5:52 AM Lots of houses with exterior rigid foam on the walls also have vapor-impermeable
ET. finishes on the walls of showers. As long as the interior wall finish materials are

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installed with attention to airtightness, and as long as the exterior is properly
flashed to prevent bulk water entry, experience shows that these walls are fine.

If I were you, I wouldn't worry.

2015 Green Building Advisor. From The Taunton Press, Inc., publisher of Fine Homebuilding Magazine.

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