Use vapor barrier on insulation to fight moisture

Tag : zinc strip
Use vapor barrier on insulation to fight moisture By Gene Austin - McClatchy Newspapers
QUESTION: I am finishing my basement for living space. I haveapplied two coats of a waterproofing paint to the walls and havenot detected any moisture for two years. I plan to use fiberglassinsulation and wood framing. Do I need a vapor barrier between thewall and fiberglass? - P. Knight
ANSWER: If you are satisfied that there is no leakage through thewalls, you should not need a vapor barrier on the wall side.However, if your house is heated in winter, you should use a vaporbarrier on the inside of the insulation to prevent moisturepenetration. You can either use kraft-faced fiberglass, staplingthe paper flanges to the inside of the wood studs, or you can use avapor-barrier primer on the inside of the drywall that should coverthe insulation.
A few other points to keep in mind: Be sure and carefully insulatethe band joist around the top perimeter of the basement walls. Youcan cut chunks of fiberglass and stuff them into the joistcavities. Also, you might consider other options for insulating thewalls. For example, Owens-Corning, a leading manufacturer offiberglass, makes other products that could be used, includingrigid foam insulation and a Basement Finishing System thateliminates framing, drywall and painting. For more information,visit www.owenscorning.com .
QUESTION: My roof shingles have dark stains from a fungus. I had aroofer look at them and he advised me to buy zinc tape and put iton the roof. Is the tape difficult to install? Also, will roofcleaner damage the shingles? - J essica
ANSWER: Zinc strips to help prevent roof fungus are generally soldin two forms: rolls of flexible material and short, rigid strips.Both require getting on the roof at its highest point (the ridge)and fastening the zinc strip there. Also, existing stains must beremoved before the zinc, which reacts chemically with rain water,will do much good.
Roof cleaners contain powerful chemicals and I can't personallyassure you that they won't damage your shingles. However, thecleaners are widely used and they are rinsed off soon afterapplication, so there doesn't appear to be much risk.
Z-Stop,www.z-stop.com, is an example of roll-type zinc. It comes ina 50-foot roll costing about $55 and is attached at the roof ridgewith special nails with neoprene washers that are supposed toprevent leaks. Shingle Shield, www.shingleshield.com , comes in three-foot strips and costs about $70 for 48 feet.
Unless you feel you can work high on a roof safely, I think theentire job should be done by an experienced roofer.

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