A Question for people in the US to answer please.....?
The question I have is about the construction of homes in the US. I have seen where he has pulled away the dry wall, revealing underneath stud walling with insulation and vapour barrier underneath. My question is, from what I can make out, the vapour barrier sheeting is normal and seems to practically seal the room in, surely there is the need to adequate ventilation to prevent moisture build up, and I cannot work out where the moisture produced within the room can escape to? Please can you explain in laymans terms
Answers:
That's a very good question. The heating/AC system used in most homes in the US includes an air blower that circulates air and the pressure differentials from that blower forces some air (with the moisture) out through minute openings in the building. In additon, there powered vents in kitchen and bathrooms that will remove some. Opening doors and windows in the normal course of living lets more out. In AC season, the system evaporator removes condensate that is drained away.
Other answers:
Outside of wall is exposed to air and can evaporate and leave thru house ventilation..vapor barrier keep moisture out of walls to prevent rot of the support structure.
Outside of wall is exposed to air and can evaporate and leave thru house ventilation..vapor barrier keep moisture out of walls to prevent rot of the support structure.
The ventilation system.
In the winter humidity is very low with forced hot air heating (nobody has radiators anymore) and in the summer you either have air conditioning which takes all the humidity out of the air or the windows are open.
Hi,,,, there should be some vents on the outside of the house , along the underside or some put vents on top of the house like i have.... that takes care of some moisture,,, but here in the Deep South, where I live,, we have a mold problem,,,,, even with it....
good luck
moisture will travel through the walls and escape to the outside.
But only if there is latex paint on the wall. Also, moisture will escape through the roof, vents and around windows and
doorways.
Wood frame houses don't get the kind of condensation you get with block houses.
There are no wall vents required like in the UK building codes.
Also agreeing with what others said before me is that most homes are heated and cooled using a forced air system which takes care of damp by circulating the air. Not many homes have the boiler/radiator system any more but in older homes you can still find radiators.
Greetings..
Just a reminder...that vapor barrier paper allows moisture to escape due to it's permeability, or perm factor. It keeps OUTside moisture from condensing on inside of exterior walls then against wood surfaces but allows moisture from inside to vapor through it.
It is a water barrier that allows vapors to pass through it slowly.
That's how I remember it anyway.
Clear as mud...eh?