Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Condensation on the vapor barrier.

I ridid my bathroom about 3 months ago and I put a vapor barrier behind the backer board all around the shower. While installing the door on the access panel for the shut off valves I noticed some moisture between the backer board and the vapor barrier. It was not a lot and only at the bottom 6 inches of the wall. I live in SC and the bathroom is annex to the walk in closet which has no heat or air. The liner of the shower comes behind the vapor barrier by about 3 to 4 inches.

Should I be worried about the condensation?

Hi Jortiz,
"Should I be worried about the condensation? "
Absolutely, It's condensation now, but could be mold in the future. I didn’t' follow your description completely, maybe some pictures would help, but anywhere moist air (bathroom air certainly qualifies) comes in contact with a cooler surface it will condense out water.

A standard procedure for bathrooms is to let the exhaust fan run for 30 minutes after a shower. They even have special delay timer switches for that purpose. Do you have an exhaust fan?

"The liner of the shower comes behind the vapor barrier by about 3 to 4 inches. " I'm probably just thick, but what does this mean?

Unheated closets are an invitation for condensation, as they create a cold environment inside the house where we aren't usually prepared for it. I have a large walk-in closet that developed mold in the back because someone in my family over filled the closet. The extra cloths and junk insulated the back wall from the heat, thus a cold wall and condensation, and then mold. Cleaned out the closet, added a heat register and no more problem.

In your case, it sounds like the cold closet is adjacent to the wall in question, so warm up the closet and reduce the moisture in the bathroom. Send Pic and I’ll adjust my recommendation if needed.

Bud

In my opinion, the condensation at this point, isn't that big a deal if you are using a cement tile backer. No mold will grow without a food source. I never use vapor barriers...they always seem to trap condensation. jmho


Jim

Thanks guys, i will keep an eye on it and i like the idea of heating the closet so i will do that for sure.

Thanks again;
J