Moisture Resistant Insulation

Resistance to moisture combined with the ability of the total component to dry is an important consideration. The moisture resistant insulation come in the form of polystyrene boards, EPS and XPS, Calcium Silicate boards, Composite boards with moisture protective sheathing, Gypsum boards with glass fibre and additives and thermoplastic sheathing.

Everyday activities such as cooking, washing and bathing add moisture to the air in your home in the form of water vapour. This vapour can become trapped inside walls, resulting in mould and mildew growth, which can damage your home and present a potential health concern. Insulation provides a barrier between vapour and structure.

• Foam or closed-cell rigid insulation--extruded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate--is not damaged by water and resists surface mould growth. This kind of insulation generally allows the walls and floors to drain and dry.
• Fibreglass insulation resists water damage and surface mould growth, however, this type of insulation may trap and hold water and slow drying time of walls and floors. Soaked fibreglass insulation usually has to be removed.
• Fibre reinforced calcium silicate board with water repellent silicone applied on both faces. 
• Reinforced with glass fibre gypsum board with the glass fibre tissue immediately below each surface of the board. Also Gypsum plasterboard with an aerated gypsum core with water repellent additives encased in and firmly bonded strong  paper liners.
• Cement based boards with cellulose, sand and selected water repellent additives.
• Laminated boards with an aerated gypsum core and PIR insulation lined with multi-layer vapour control barrier on both sides.
• Laminated XPS foam with a polymer-concrete coating on both sides and reinforced with a fibreglass mesh encased by carbon nano-fibres.
  

• Cut the pieces to size using a sharp utility knife and a metal straight-edge. Simply secure the straight-edge in place and score through the outer coating using a sharp blade. Once the paper is scored you can snap the board off changing its overall size to what you need. 
• Drive the fixing screws into the board and the studs behind it or to the battens fixed on to the solid substrate. Take care to only go just below the surface of the board and try to avoid going through the paper facing entirely.
• If you have to go with multiple rows of board on a wall, stagger the material to keep seams from lining up.
• Avoid putting water resistant drywall on your bathroom ceiling, as bathroom ceilings tend to collect a great deal of moisture.
• Tape the joints and plaster them.
• You can then install tiles on the boards or just finish them with plaster and paint.