Dennis writes from Strongsville, Ohio: "I am refinishing my basement. First off let me say that I have been in the house for 10 years and have never had any leaks in the basement.

I first sealed the cement block with two coats of DRYLOC. Next I built the stud (wood) walls approximately 2 inches from the cement walls. I have purchased and will install your faced R-13 insulation. My question is do I still need to install a plastic vapor barrier? I have read conflicting reports."

Answer: No. If you have Kraft-faced insulation you do not want a second vapor barrier installed. Even if there was not a Kraft facing we would still not recommend a plastic vapor retarder in a basement application. The moisture content is generally high in basements and a plastic vapor retarder is too strong for those conditions.