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TOPIC: Insulation Concerns

Vapor Barrier

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My husband and I are in the process of buying a home, and during the inspection,we found something interesting. This is a hot roof with spray poly urethane insulation. When we looked up in the attic you can see the insulation but no vapor barrier applied. How bad is this? Thanks
Guest User

5/15/2009
If it is the correct type of insulation, it acts as its own vapor barrier. This is a different method of construction. It works but I do not talk about it much on here because it is still rather unusual to run into it. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

5/17/2009
Thanks for the information. Our inspector contacted the builder, and I guess the builder said the insulation was approved by the city and eight other homes in the neighborhood had this same roofing system. The inspector also told me he saw no signs of discoloration in the insulation, so he thought it looked ok. (rin regards to mold or condensation) The house was build in 2005, so the roof is four years old. My question is this: Just because there is no problems now with mold or condensation, do you know of any problems over time with these roofs? Also, with this type of insulation acting as its own vapor barrier, how much does this decrease the R value of the insulation over time? Basically the bottom line question is, are we going to have to be replacing this roof? Thanks for your help. I sometimes think I just have to go to school and get an education on this type of stuff, or just trust what they tell me.......
Guest User

5/25/2009
Again if it is the right type of foam it acts as its own vapor barrier and should be fine. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

5/29/2009