Guy at Rona told me my insulation choice was a fire hazard

I was at the Rona off 170th last week grabbing some fiberglass batts for my basement reno. This older guy in a dusty vest walked up while I was comparing R-values and said, 'You planning to leave that uncovered?' I told him I was gonna put up vapour barrier after. He just shook his head and said the paper facing on those batts can trap moisture against the wall if I don't do it right. Then he showed me the right way to staple the barrier and seal the seams with acoustic sealant. I spent an extra 40 minutes doing it his way. Has anyone else had a random stranger in a hardware store save them from a dumb mistake?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_fiona26d ago

That "paper facing can trap moisture" part is what got me. Same thing happened to me at a Home Depot in Ottawa. This old guy saw me grabbing faced batts for my basement and just goes "you're gonna rot your studs out kid." I had no clue the facing acts as a vapor barrier too. Saved me from a moldy mess down the road.

thea85726d ago

Oh man, that old timer saved you big time! I had almost the exact same screw up on my first renovation, thankfully my buddy caught me before I stapled that faced stuff all over an interior wall.