Kraft-faced insulation features a built-in paper vapor retarder that controls moisture and makes installation easier. To use it properly, always orient the paper facing towards the conditioned (heated) living space and ensure it touches the drywall, as the paper is highly flammable and must not be left exposed to open air.
Use kraft-faced insulation for first-time installations in exterior walls, ceilings, and floors where you need built-in moisture control. The paper facing acts as a vapor retarder, slowing the movement of moisture and preventing mold. Always install the paper facing toward the warm, conditioned living space.
Unfaced insulation is great for new construction, remodels, walls, floors, ceilings, basements, attics and crawlspaces. It's best used for interior wall applications that do not face the outside and also in rooms that don't need moisture control, like living rooms, dining rooms and studies.
If you use faced insulation and staple the flanges to the studs, you do not need a vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is used when you use un-faced batts (without the paper). Insulation is best installed before you move into the shop and start placing tools, cabinets, etc on the walls.
Kraft faced and unfaced insulation have the same thermal performance (R-value) per inch, but differ in moisture control and installation. Faced insulation features a kraft paper vapor retarder to prevent moisture condensation in walls, whereas unfaced insulation is bare and meant for layering or where a vapor barrier already exists.
Faced or unfaced insulation in basement walls is a common question we get. Use faced insulation in basement walls when insulating between studs, with the facing toward the interior. However, if you're adding insulation over existing insulation, choose unfaced to avoid creating a double vapor barrier.
Mice are curious and always searching for safe, snug, and warm nesting sites. Attics filled with blown-in insulation provide an excellent option–from the mice's point of view. As long as there is a ready food source. Mice are omnivorous and will eat and chew on almost anything including wood and electrical wires.
Installing Faced Insulation
Kraft-faced batts come with staple tabs or staple-free. Tabbed batts have paper tabs that can be folded out to allow mechanical fasteners—typically staples—to secure the batt in place. You can also install batts that have staple tabs by friction fit as well without the need to staple.
Yes, mice can easily chew through foam insulation. Because mice have strong, continuously growing teeth, they will chew through soft materials like foam to create tunnels, sharpen their teeth, or gain access to a warm space.
Faced insulation
Kraft and standard foil facings can burn and must not be left exposed.
Use faced insulation for exterior walls, attics, and basements where moisture control is vital. The facing (paper or foil) acts as a vapor barrier.
The healthiest, non-toxic insulation for your home is natural sheep's wool or hemp insulation. These materials contain no chemical binders or formaldehyde, actively regulate indoor humidity to prevent mold, and do not off-gas.
Yes, homeowners can add new insulation over existing insulation in most cases. This approach works well for attics, walls, and floors where the current layer remains intact and undisturbed. Building codes and energy experts often support this method to boost thermal performance without full removal.
Kraft-faced insulation includes a vapor retarder which helps with moisture migration from unconditioned outside air. Install kraft-faced batts with the paper facing toward the inside of the home.
Unfaced insulation is generally cheaper than faced insulation, as it lacks the extra vapor retarder material (kraft paper or foil).
If you're using faced insulation, install it with the vapor retarder positioned down toward the room. Hold the insulation up with one hand, while stapling the flange on both sides every 6" - 8" with the other hand. Leave a little extra on each end to cover the top plate of the outside wall.
The Amish control mice through non-chemical, self-sustaining methods, relying on active trapping, natural scent repellents, and structural exclusion. Rather than using commercial poisons, they focus on physical barriers and natural predators to keep rodent populations in check.
Rats are a primary food source for a wide variety of animals. Their most significant natural and artificial predators include:
Because spray foam can trap moisture, hide the condition of the roof, make it difficult for surveyors to inspect, which means risks like timber decay, dry rot, and not forgetting increased fire risk. If you've got it or you're buying a property that does, this is something you need to know upfront.
Kraft-faced insulation includes a paper vapor retarder, which helps prevent mold and mildew. 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.
While it may appear harmless to the naked eye, it actually contains thousands upon thousands of small shards of glass and sand that can make their way onto your skin, eyes or even inside your lungs. If you've ever touched fiberglass insulation with your bare hands, you're probably well aware of its effect on the skin.
No, you do not need an additional vapor barrier when installing Kraft-faced insulation. The Kraft paper itself acts as a built-in Class II vapor retarder (the only one required). Adding another plastic or foil vapor barrier can trap moisture inside the wall cavity, which leads to mold and wood rot.
Closed-cell spray foam and rigid foam board are hard, unattractive to rodents, and double as air barriers. Mineral wool is dense enough to discourage nesting. Fiberglass batts, especially in crawl spaces and attics, are essentially an open invitation.
Here's the reality: if you see one mouse during the day, there are likely 5-10 more you're not seeing. In other words, daytime sightings almost always indicate multiple mice. Even nighttime sightings suggest more than one. Mice are social animals that live in family groups.
The ultimate "number one" mice killer depends on your specific needs—whether you prefer fast-acting poison or a safe, pet-friendly option.