I am renovating a house in extreme south Louisiana. The structure is about
50 years old. I am removing everything inside, essentially gutting the
house interior to the studs. There is no "house wrap" of any kind...from
the naked inside, you can see the back side of the siding (which is still
sound). I want to install insulation , but am wondering if I can put
moisture barrier, (tyvek or some such) in each stud space...? and then the
insulation. If I put a barrier, do I lay it strictly flat on the flat part
or do I continue over and around the framing studs to make a continuous
barrier.

Thanks.
perry

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:09:50 -0500, "perrylep"
wrote:

I am renovating a house in extreme south Louisiana. The structure is about
50 years old. I am removing everything inside, essentially gutting the
house interior to the studs. There is no "house wrap" of any kind...from
the naked inside, you can see the back side of the siding (which is still
sound). I want to install insulation , but am wondering if I can put
moisture barrier, (tyvek or some such) in each stud space...? and then the
insulation. If I put a barrier, do I lay it strictly flat on the flat part
or do I continue over and around the framing studs to make a continuous
barrier.

Thanks.
perry


Putting individual strips of vapor barrier in the stud bays doesn't
accomplish much unless you seal the edges, which is labor intensive.

Get some tanks of spray-in urethane foam, and fill the stud bays with
that. That will get you insulation, wind/vapor barrier, and
wall-stiffening all at once. Do it in multiple passes, so you have
less overfill to carve off.

On Apr 26, 12:09�pm, "perrylep" wrote:
I am renovating a house in extreme south Louisiana. *The structure is about
50 years old. *I am removing everything inside, essentially gutting the
house interior to the studs. *There is no "house wrap" of any kind...from
the naked inside, you can see the back side of the siding (which is still
sound). * I want to install insulation , but am wondering if I can put
moisture barrier, (tyvek or some such) in each stud space...? *and then the
insulation. *If I put a barrier, do I lay it strictly flat on the flat part
or do I continue over and around the framing studs to make a continuous
barrier.

Thanks.
perry

use spray closed cell foam, pricey but excellent insulation, makes
for draft free quiet home.....

this foam is sprayed in all the cavities. and trimmed for easy wall
board install, self vapor barrier its about R6 per inch!

On Apr 26, 7:58 pm, Goedjn wrote:
On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:09:50 -0500, "perrylep"

wrote:
I am renovating a house in extreme south Louisiana. The structure is about
50 years old. I am removing everything inside, essentially gutting the
house interior to the studs. There is no "house wrap" of any kind...from
the naked inside, you can see the back side of the siding (which is still
sound). I want to install insulation , but am wondering if I can put
moisture barrier, (tyvek or some such) in each stud space...? and then the
insulation. If I put a barrier, do I lay it strictly flat on the flat part
or do I continue over and around the framing studs to make a continuous
barrier.

Thanks.
perry

Putting individual strips of vapor barrier in the stud bays doesn't
accomplish much unless you seal the edges, which is labor intensive.

Get some tanks of spray-in urethane foam, and fill the stud bays with
that. That will get you insulation, wind/vapor barrier, and
wall-stiffening all at once. Do it in multiple passes, so you have
less overfill to carve off.

May have misread your question. But strongly suggest you read up
building codes for wall/ceiling insulation and vapour barriers for
your area etc. Also check attic ventilation which is also very
important.
In the cool-cold climate here, for example, the vapour barrier goes on
the warm side of the insulation, carefully sealed, to prevent warm/
damp house ait r from getting out into the insulation; condensing
there inside the wall and causing rot, mould and deteroiaration of the
insualtion!
Vapour barrier is impervious to moisture and prevent moisture through
it.
On the 'outside' of the wall (i.e. under whatever siding you have/
using you should use a permeable barrier building paper or house warp
such as Tyvek. That is water resistant but allows the inevitable
moisture within the wall to evaporate out and not cause problems.

wrote:
I am renovating a house in extreme south Louisiana. The structure is
about
50 years old. I am removing everything inside, essentially gutting the
house interior to the studs. There is no "house wrap" of any
kind...from
the naked inside, you can see the back side of the siding (which is
still
sound). I want to install insulation , but am wondering if I can put
moisture barrier, (tyvek or some such) in each stud space...? and then
the
insulation. If I put a barrier, do I lay it strictly flat on the flat
part
or do I continue over and around the framing studs to make a continuous
barrier.

Vapour barrier always goes on the warm side of the wall. In Louisiana I
assume that your summers are much warmer than your winters, so you would
want the vapour barrier on the outside side of the wall.

Without removing your siding your only real option is spray in foam. I've
never used it but I'm told that it's pretty much the best stuff you can use
anyhow. The only downside that I can see is that if you ever need to remove
the siding later, it will have the foam stuck to it. Once you've sprayed the
walls and it's dried you can install fiberglass to finish the job.

Also, Tyvek is NOT vapor barrier. It is designed to let vapour through, but
stop drafts.

In article t_9Yh.132820$aG1.121184@pd7urf3no,
Noozer wrote:
...snipped...
I assume that your summers are much warmer than your winters, so you would
...snipped...

That's a pretty safe assumption...


--
Make it as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:33:46 +0000 (UTC),
(Larry W) wrote:

In article t_9Yh.132820$aG1.121184@pd7urf3no,
Noozer wrote:
...snipped...
I assume that your summers are much warmer than your winters, so you would
...snipped...

That's a pretty safe assumption...

Not wrt the polar regions of Louisiana.