What Happens When You Put a Plastic Vapor Barrier in Your Wall?

You’ve probably heard about plastic barriers and that people recommend them for your houses. But do you really know what these products are supposed to do and how they help protect and preserve your home for a long time?

You’ve probably also wondered what how these plastic barriers are affected by the fluctuating temperatures outside—whatever your questions might have been, we’ve got all the answers you need.

Understanding How Air Affects Your House Structure

Your house will inevitably be exposed to moisture if the area is humid. Houses that don’t have vapor barriers installed within feel damp, cold, and retain damaged structures over a period of time. The reason for this is the water vapor that gets trapped inside the walls (especially wood). When left unattended, this moisture will trickle down and accumulate, causing the wood and walls to rot over time. This isn’t just harmful to the house’s structure, but is also hazardous to the health of those living inside.

What A Vapor Barrier Does

 

It would be too simplistic to say that a vapor barrier blocks vapor—because that in itself doesn’t explain much. What a vapor barrier does is so much more than that: it blocks one of the four essential elements needed by bacteria to grow and thrive.

Bacteria need a combination of 4 things to grow: moisture (water vapor), wood (or something to feast on), heat, and oxygen. Houses usually incorporate wood and there’s plenty of oxygen to go around. With the addition of water vapor and a hot day, you have the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. Also remember that fungi, too, need moisture to thrive—that’s where mold comes in. As a result, the house rots.

However, vapor barriers blocks one of the essential elements needed by bacteria and fungi to grow, and thus keeps the house dry, rot-free, and warm. The trick is to install it properly and find a reliable firm that can provide a composite range of products needed for the job.

And You’ve Found that Reliable Firm Right Here

Trust Crawl Space Door Store to take care of all your plastic vapor barrier needs. From the fasteners that you’ll need to hold the barriers in place to the capped stakes from butyl tape to line your walls to heavy-duty seam tapes, visit our website today and place an easy online order for all that you need.