In circumstances where conditions inside a home or office are much different than outdoor conditions water.
Vapor barrier over rigid foam insulation.
Keep foam board insulation away from direct sunlight prior to installation.
However an installation between the studs can pose a challenge.
Some debate still occurs over how necessary vapor barriers are but a consensus is growing closer.
Not every wall does.
Rigid foam insulation is usually a qualified vapor barrier.
The rigid foam will not absorb moisture.
By installing the crawl space vapor barrier over the insulation you will prevent holes in the vapor barrier from securing the rigid foam to the wall.
However an installation between the studs can pose a challenge.
Vapor barriers are sheets of plastic or other material placed on one side of insulation sheets.
This barrier is meant to keep moisture from getting to the insulation in the walls and ceilings and it is required by building codes when insulating most houses.
It will also allow shorter fasteners to be used and no guesswork about stud locations when installing the new insulation and wall coverings.
To complete the vapor barrier you would want to foam seal or tape all the sides where the rigid meets timber because these gaps will facilitate vapor flow.
It goes without saying that the holes would not be a good thing.
A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter.
In any case the vapor barrier must point to the warm side.
However please be aware that spray foam is not the same as rigid foam.
This will not only eliminate the double air vapour barrier issue it will allow for additional thickness of rigid foam insulation to be installed improving the energy efficiency even more.
After the insulation is in place you will want to add a vapor retarder sometimes called a vapor barrier if you need one.
Most authorities now agree that vapor barriers are important under certain conditions but not necessarily as a whole house solution for every home.
Cover the insulation with a vapor barrier before you install it.
All foam boards absorb water vapor.
It will degrade its r value.