VaporRetardersinTheHotandHumidClimateDispellingMyths.

On several occasions, I was made acutely aware how terribly misunderstood the application of this
materialisinthehotandhumidclimate.Herearejustfewexamplesfrommypractice:
1. Moisture, mold, and mildew discovered under a peeling wallpaper. Moisture plus extensive pest damage
discoveredunderflooringplacedovercrawlspace.Boththethewallpaperandflooringmaterialswereproducedof
animpermeableplastic.
2.Technicalrepresentativeofareputablematerialmanufacturerclaimedvaporretardersarenecessaryonthe
interiorsideofthermalinsulationinordertoavoidcondensationinSouthFloridaathiseducationalseminar.
3.DirectorofoperationsoftheNortheastAmericanbranchofthelargestfacadeengineeringfirmsintheworld,
claimedduringhispresentationinMiamiBeachlastyear,thereisnoriskofbuildingenvelopecondensationinhot
andhumidclimatessuchasSouthFlorida.Inresponsetomyclarifyingquestion,hefurtherexplainedthatitalmost
nevergetscoldenoughinthewinterinMiamitoworryaboutcondensation.
4.EverynowandthenIstumbleuponarchitecturaldrawings,andtextbookdrawingsexhibitingvaporretarderon
the wrong side. Below is the reproduction of the CBS system popular in South Florida (CBS stands for Concrete
BlockStucco).

(Bad)examplefromtheInternet.CBSsystempopularinSouthFlorida.
Vaporretarderpicturedonthewrongsideoftheinteriorthermalinsulation.

5.AprojectmanageroftheSouthFloridianbranchofoneofthe"Top10Largest"architecturalfirmsintheU.S.
explainedtomethepolicyofhiscompanyistoneverplaceanimpermeablematerialontheexteriorofanyfacade.
ItcameupwhenIsubmittedmyforensicreportshowingthispracticeasoneofthesourcesoffailuresobservedin
the local building his company designed. He strongly believes this policy is flawless; therefore, our observations
andfindingsmustbefalse.
6. A building technologist of a Northwestern branch of one of the "Top 10 Best" architectural companies in the
NorthAmericadeniedanywatervapordiffusionwouldoccurthroughthepolyurethanefoamsprayedonabare
gypsumsheathingofanexteriorstudwallcoveredwithanopenjointmetalcladdingrainscreen,andlocatedinhot
and humid climate. He explained he was advised so by his building envelope consultant. He even drew a nice
sketchillustratinghisbelief,whichIthankfullysavedinmygrowingcollectionofarchitecturalgoofs.

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Asillustratedbythoseexamples,notonlyarchitectsaremisinformed,butalsosomeoftheirrole
models.Therefore,eventhoughthesubjectissowelldescribedintheavailableliterature,Idecidedto
addtotheinformationoverflow,bywritingthisshortexplanatoryarticle.
WhatisVaporRetarder?
Vaporretarderscontrolthediffusionofwatervapor;theyarecharacterizedbypermeability(therateof
ofwatervaporflow)andtheyneedtobeinstalledinacontinuousmanner.Soundssimple?
TheFloridaBuildingCodegivesthefollowingdefinition,whichseemstobegoodenoughforour
purpose:
VAPOR RETARDER. A vaporresistant material, membrane or covering such as foil, plastic sheeting or
insulationfacinghavingapermeanceratingof1perm(5.71011kg/Pasm2)orless,whentested
in accordance with the dessicant method using Procedure A of ASTM E 96. Vapor retarders limit the
amountofmoisturevaporthatpassesthroughamaterialorwallassembly.
Thisdefinitionalsocoversmechanicalconduits,concretefloors,woodprotection,andotheruses,but
welimitourselvestothegeneralbulkbuildingenvelopeapplicationsinthisarticle.
WhyVaporRetarder?
Twochiefreasons:1)Tocontrolcondensation,2)Tocontrolhumidityinthebuilding.
WhereVaporRetarderShouldGo?
The rule of thumb is assemblies should be layered in an increasing order of permeability, starting
from the prevailing highlatentenergy side. It's so simple. This would assure the drying potential in
everyclimate.Thetoughpartistofigureoutwheretheloadsare.Forexample,thehighlatentenergyis
representedbytheboilingkettleonthepicturesbelow.Asyoucansee,it'sveryeasytodesigninthe
hotandhumidclimate,becauseenergyflowsthesamedirectionmostofthetime.

and

Coldandmixedclimatesaretrickierbecausethe energyflowchangesdirectioneveryseason.Energy
may also change direction every day (think morning dew), but in this article we will conveniently
overlookthediurnalheatcyclesforsakeofclarity.Therefore,placingthevaporretarderontheexterior

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should be no brainer in the hot and humid climate, because you can integrate it with the layers
controllingairandwater,withoutthemoistureentrapmentriskinherentinotherclimates.Italsosaves
the energy, which otherwise would need to be used to dehumidify the building from the additional
latentloadcomingviathediffusion.

Vaporretarderonexterior,allowingforallinoneintegrationofmanyfunctionsinonelayer.

WhatHappensIfThereisnoVaporRetarder?
Whathappensifyoudonotdesignthevaporretarderatallinthehotandhumidclimate?(Remember,
oneoftheleadingarchitecturalfirmsinthiscountrymadeititsofficialpolicy.)Eitheroftwothings:
1) Murphy's Law says "If anything can go
wrong, it will." If your (or your tenant's)
interior designer decides later to embellish
the interiors with something impermeable,
than you may expect condensation and the
associated damage to adjacent, moisture
sensitive materials, as well as the microbial
growth.
It'snotaquestionifithappens,it'saquestion
where; Many materials used in the interior
design are impermeable. (think vinyl wall
paper,ceramictiles,epoxyflooring,etc.)it'sa
safe bet to assume there would be a e.g. a
kitchen, bathroom, or simply a piece of
furniture placed next to the building
Miami.WUFIsimulationshowingwatercontentinanexteriorconcrete
wallassemblywithanimpermeablecoatingontheinteriorsurface.

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envelope,whichmayleadtothiscondition.
ThisisoneofthemosttypicalcondensationproblemsintheSouth,causedbyavaporretarderonthe
"wrong side." How do you know there is a problem? Your nose would probably tell you first, by the
unmistakablemustyodor (In the new constructionyoumayneedtouseyour eyesfirst,becausenew
materialsareoftentreatedwithbiocides,whichwouldwearafterseveralmonths.)Blistering,peeling,
anddelaminationwouldfurtherindicatetheissue.
Solution? Lawyers would advise
architects to set up a sacrificial
corporation to isolate the
architectural malpractice risk.
Seriously, you may want to
addressthecoreissueandplace
the vapor retarder where it's
missing. It's very easy in the
typical barrier wall construction:
just coat the exterior with an
impermeable paint and you are
done. It's trickier in rainscreen
and
drainable
veneer
arrangements.

Alabama:RestroominaHospital.Microbialgrowthbehindtheimpermeableinteriorwall
coating

Interiorworkaroundsincludetheremovalofoffendingmaterials,ventilationofcavitiesbehindthem,or
heatingthesecavitiestodepartfromDewPoint.Needlesstosay,thesemethodswouldalsoincreaseair
conditioningenergycosts.
2)KeepingTheChopperintheSky.Attheremaininglocations,wherethevaporretarderwasnotplaced
on the wrong side, the only downside of water vapor diffusing into the interior spaces would be the
increasedoperationalcost;theinteriorwouldbemoreexpensiveandchallengingtodehumidify.
The phenomena responsible for this symptom is the water vapor pressure differential, which in the
South may exceed 1 inch Hg (13.6 inches of water) in the summer. For comparison, the worstcase
wintercondensationinthecoldclimateistypicallydrivenbylessthan0.5inchHg(~6.8inchesofH2O).
This is probably why the South beats North in both quality and quantity of bad cases of moisture
condensation.Thepressuredifferentialwouldbeevenhigheracrossexteriorpartitionsofamechanical
duct,around1.5inchHg(~20inchesofH20)becauseairinaducthasalowerwatervaporpressure.We
oftenseefailuresinmechanicalplenumsdesignedbyarchitects,regardlessofclimate.
Also, exterior absorptive materials, e.g. brick veneer create water reservoirs, which further increase
exteriorvaporpressurestoinsanelevels,whensunheatsthem.

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The most typical assembly of this kind in the South is the 6 inch thick concrete precast panel. Its
permeability is around 0.7 perm at best. Such an assembly would allow a steady flow of water vapor
throughtheassembly,whichwouldproducehighairhumidityreadingsinside,whichinturnwouldneed
to be removed by the air conditioning system, adding to the operating costs and depletion of
environment.
Toillustrate,suchawallmeasuring10ftx10ftwouldtransfer~23ozofwateronahotsummerday.The
additionalcostofdehumidificationwoulddependonthetypeandefficiencyofthesystem.
Another good example of such a wall is a polyurethane spray foam installed on a gypsum sheathing
picturedontheillustrationreproducedonthenextpage

Exampleofarainscreenwalldesignedwithoutavaporretarder.

Doyoufeeluncomfortable,yourprintersandcopiersfailtoprint,envelopesgluedthemselvestogether,
steeliscoveredwithathinlayerofrust,millworkdelaminatedandbowed,pestsoverruntheplace,and
themustyodorexplainswhyyouremployeesareonasickleave?Thetroubleisthemechanicaldesign
isseldomcoordinatedwiththearchitecturaldesign;therefore,morelikelythannot,itdidnotaddress
the loads properly, resulting in the interior spaces located too close to Dew Point. This is often
manifestedinoldbuildingsretrofittedwithairconditioning,butnewbuildingsareproneaswell.
Solutions?Installationofavaporretarderontheexteriorsideofyourenvelopewouldaddressthecore
issue. As above, it's very easy in the typical barrier wall construction: just coat the exterior with an
impermeable paint and you are done. Older concrete buildings, such as the one I am sitting in while
writingthesewords,areoftencoveredwithnumerouslayersofinexpensivepaint,whichtypicallyacts
as a very effective vapor retarder. It'd be trickier in rainscreen and drainable veneer arrangements,
wherethebuildingenvelopemaybeinaccessible.
Workaroundincludedehumidificationofthesupplyair.However,youwouldneedtoprepareforthe#1
above, because as soon as you do it, moisture would be encouraged to condense in your building
envelope,attractedbythelargerwatervaporpressuredifferential.Also,anyinteriordeadspotsinair

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circulationwouldneedtobeeliminated(whichmayrequirecostlyCFDanalysis)toassuretheconsistent
moistureremoval.
WhatHappensIfTheVaporRetarderisPlacedOntheInterior?
Thereisnothingwrongwithplacingthevaporretarderontheinteriorsideofthethermalinsulation,if
oneknowswhatoneisdoing.

ExteriorInsulationSystemreliesontheintegrityoftheweatherresistivebarrier(WRB)behind,whichshouldbeimpermeable.

Asimplefieldobservationorahygrothermalcomputersimulation(e.g.WUFI)wouldtellyouwhereyou
shouldexpectwatercondensation:

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So as long, as you can keep all moisturesensitive materials out of harms way and drain the water
towardtheexterior,youwoulddeviseagood,functionalassembly.Thisisexemplifiedbytheexterior
insulation systems, utilizing a moistureinsensitive thermal insulation, a drainage interlayer, and a
waterproofinglayerappliedonthebackingwallactingalsoasthevaporretarder.
SpecificationsDivision7.
The only one physical characteristic that describes vapor retarders is its permeability. Therefore, one
would reasonably expect the permeability to be placed in the relevant section of architectural
specifications.However,regardlessoftheclimate,theuniversalmistakemadebyspecificationwritersis
omitting the only one requirement that actually matters. (Vapor retarder is often incorporated in the
thermalinsulationsection;themostimportantphysicalcharacteristicthatdescribesthermalinsulation
isitsthermalresistance,andthisrequirementisalsouniversallyomittedfromthespecifications,butthis
would be a subject for another article.) Specifications seldom actually tell the installer which side the
vaporretardingfacingshouldface,butthespatialrelationshipsshouldbedescribedondrawings.
WhatHappensifBothSidesareExterior?
Dr.JoeLstibureksaidaparapetwalls'functionis
to confuse architects, while describing the
commonairleakageattherooftowallinterface
stemming from architectural errors and
omissions. However, we specifically avoided
discussing air barriers and air leakage in this
article, to avoid further confusion. (We would
covertheairleakagesoon.)
Another interesting aspect of parapet walls is SouthFlorida.Astainedparapetwallcoveredwithasphaltic
they are often covered with impermeable membraneontheother(roof)side.
roofingmembraneonthesidefacingaroof.Also,freestandingwalls,duetotheirhighvisibility,tempt
architects to experiment with different combinations of exterior finishes, such as stucco and paint.
Sometimes, the inconspicuous side is left
unfinished. Due to their double exposure they
are subjected to the much higher heat loads
than the average building envelope. The water
vapor pressures generated in these assemblies
areinsane(thinksteamengines).
The ultimate result is similar: unequal drying
capacitywithonesidemorepermeablethanthe
other side, resulting in all kinds of interesting
symptoms, such as peeling paint, efflorescence,
anddiscolorationasprimaryexamples.
Alabama.Anexteriorwallaroundanupscaleshoppingmallexhibiting
peelingpaintinaspectacularway.

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DispellingTheMostCommonMyths.
Belowarelistedthemostcommonarchitecturalmisconceptions,accompaniedbyexplanations:
Youmustplaceavaporretarderinyourdesigntoavoidcondensation.
Notreally,unlessthemakeupofyourassemblyisalreadyscreweduptobeginwith.(Seetheruleof
thumbaboveforreference.)Althoughtheinclusionofvaporretarderisrequiredbybuildingcodes,the
requirementsapplyonlytotheavoidanceofcondensation,andit'spossibletorationallyengineersuch
anenvelopewithoutavaporretarder.(However,youwouldstillneedthevaporretarderinthehotand
humidclimatetolimittheinteriorairhumiditylevelandtheenergyuse,unlessyourwallisalready
impermeableenough.)
Vaporretarderisjustanothernameforairbarrier.
No.Thetwoperformdifferentfunctionsandhavedifferentphysicalrequirements.E.g.airbarriersneed
tobestructurallystrongenoughtocontrolairmovement.Somematerials(e.g.singleplyroofing
membranes)canperformbothfunctions,butdon'tletitfoolyou.Airleakagetypicallycontributestothe
condensationissuesexperiencedinbuildings,butthetwowouldtypicallyrequiredifferentremedial
measures.
Vaporretardershouldbeplacedinside.
Therearesomeprojectsonwhichvaporretardershouldbeplacedinside,butitshouldnotconfuseyou.
ItproveddevastatingintheSouthoverandoveragainseethephotographsofthemoldandmildew
threepagesup.YoucanalsodownloadthefreedemooftheintuitiveWUFIsoftwarefromFraunhofer
Institute'swebpage,andtenminuteslateryoushouldknowtheanswer.
Vaporretardershouldnotbeplacedoutside.
Thisishowarchitectscontributeintheirmodestwaytothedepletionofthenaturalenvironmentand
theoperationalbudgetsoftheirclients(unlesstheirclienthappenstobeanoilsheikh).Itprovestobe
expensiveinthehotandhumidclimate,asillustratedontheexamplescitedabove.
Roofingmembraneisasufficientvaporretarder.
Thevastmajorityofroofingfeltsareimpermeabletowatervapor,butdon'tletitconfuseyou.Thereare
exceptionstotherule.Ironically,popularasphaltshingleassembliesarevaporpermeable,leadingtothe
widespreaddecayobservedinmanyroofingassembliesintheSouth.
Vaporretardershouldbeplacedonthewarmerside.
It'salmostright,butlikemanyotherrulesofthumb,thereareexceptionstothisrule.Thegoodexample
isatypicalbasementwall,whereyoumayneedvaporretarderonthecolderside,becausethisiswhere
theprevailingmoistureloadmaycomefrom,dependingonyourspecificprojectconditions.
About the author
Karol Kazmierczak (Kaz), CSI, CDT, AIA, ASHRAE, NCARB, LEED AP, is the Senior Building Science
Architect and President at Building Enclosure Consulting, LLC and the leader of the BEC Miami. He has 15
years of experience in building enclosure technical design, engineering, consulting, and inspection.He can be
contacted via e-mail at info@b-e-c.info.

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SmallResidentialConstruction
The above examples came from large buildings, where disinterested agents of owners tend to hire
architectstodesigntheirbuildings.Insuchascale,thewasteiseasilywrittenoff,evenifit'smeasured
inhundredsofthousandsofdollars.
How an average contractor and DIY are doing, in the more costconscious small residential
environment?FranklyIhadnoidea,untilrecentlyIwasremodelingmyhouse,andIvisitedtwomajor
homeimprovement chains to pick some thermal insulation. Imagine my surprise when I discovered
I could not buy unfaced batt insulation because it was unavailable in the local stores in Miami.
Shelveswerefullofthe(moreexpensive)facedinsulation.SoIpurchaseditandIreadthelabel.
The instructions printed on the label did not help me to figure out which side the facing should go.
IguessifIweretheaveragecontractororahomeowner,Iwouldinstallitfacingtheinteriorbecauseit
wouldhurttheleast(glassfibershaveanastytendencytogetintoyourskin,soit'seasiertopushitvia
theprotectivefacing).TheonlyreasonableuseforthisinsulationIcanthinkofisinunconditionedattics,
facing up, so the vapor retarder would protect the insulation from the high latent load in the attics.
Otherwise,thebestIcoulddo,wastoinstallitwiththevaporretarderfacingtheexterior,usinggloves.

ThetypicalbattinsulationpurchasedatastoreinMiami.Thelabeldoesnotsaywhichsidethefacingshouldgo.TheBuildingCodeneither.

AirLeakage.
Thecombinationofhightemperatureandhumidityexperiencedinthehotandhumidclimatethistime
ofayearputsthemechanismofwatervapordiffusioninfocusandemphasizestheimportanceofthe
propervaporretarderdesign;exemplifiedonnumerouslessonslearned.Thisiswhythisarticlewas
written.However,ventilationisamuchmorepotentsourceofmoisture.Theuncontrolledventilation,
orsimplyairleakagecandumpgallonsofwaterinsideabuildinginasingleminute(thinkopendoors
afterrain),whilethediffusiongraduallydepositsouncesofmoisture.Wewillexplorethesubjectofair
leakageinthefuturearticles.
ThesubjectofvaporretardersintheSouthisexploredatmoredepthinthe"HotandHumid"seminaravailableonDVD.

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