Is Kraft Paper Needed For Attic Insulation

First the kraft paper is a vapor retarder meant to reduce the potential for moisture problems caused by diffusion.

Is kraft paper needed for attic insulation.

Kraft faced insulation is manufactured with a paper facing on one side of the insulation. All kraft faced insulation is easy to cut with a sharp utility knife or insulation knife. Kraft faced insulation should be installed in exterior walls exterior basement walls and attic ceilings by pressing the product into the wall cavity with the paper side facing outward towards the installer. Unfaced means the insulation lacks a vapor retarder paper or plastic facing.

They also state that the vapor retarder is a one way ticket to allow moisture out of the structure but not back in. According to owens corning and certainteed makers of insulation kraft paper is a retarder not a barrier. Unfaced insulation is fiberglass only and does not have any type of facing attached to it. When using insulation that has either paper or plastic facing that moisture barrier faces outward toward the attic space.

The paper serves as a vapor barrier and the paper tabs are used to fasten the insulation in place. Kraft faced or paper faced insulation comes in batts and long rolls. The painted drywall of your home and perhaps the kraft paper lining of your wall and ceiling insulation are slowing the vapor s exit. Why doesn t it matter.

This is usually kraft paper but sometimes other types of paper can be used. Roll insulation is best for floors ceilings and roofs with a long joist or rafter bays and for tall walls. When insulation was first developed it was only an inch or two thick and the attached kraft facing was stapled to studs to keep it from sagging. An unfaced insulation product does not mean that this.

Some builders rely on batts with attached kraft paper facing to do that job but tom recommends unfaced batts covered in plastic with all the seams taped shut. Batts in the rafters simply jamming batts between the rafters of a cathedral ceiling or insulated attic will interfere with the roof s ability to breathe. Kraft faced insulation includes a paper vapor retarder which helps prevent mold and mildew. Some escapes through air leaks.

It could just as well be a paper faced material or an unfaced material this kind of material lacks the paper that gives it steadiness. Even if the attic space is unheated it typically is warmer than the. Some goes right through the walls and ceilings. You can install the paper facing however you want as long as the building inspector lets you of course.

Kraft paper the asphalt impregnated brown paper facing available on insulation is rarely called for these days. The first thing that you need to know is what type of insulation will work best for your home. Outside is very cold and dry so the water vapor in your home is trying to leave. It has to do with the way it is processed.