Certainteed Membrain discontinued. Alternatives?
After doing a few minutes of searching, it appears that Membrain manufacturing has been discontinued due to covid. I’ve begun insulating for a whole-house renovation (one of those never-ending, DIY, room by room jobs). I’m using mineral wool/rock wool/ whatever you want to call it, which doesn’t technically require a vapor retarder as I understand it, but some people seem to prefer to include one. Seemed like a reasonable expense to me, so I had decided to follow suit and have already insulated a couple rooms in this way.
I’ve been relatively lucky dealing with covid-related construction complications, where I’ve been able to move onto other projects within the remodel, but finishing the insulation in the bathroom I’m currently working on is the top priority. Should I carry on putting up drywall and not worry about not having a vapor retarder?
I’m in climate zone 5, by the way.
Thanks
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I found that MemBrain did pretty much disappear off of the market earlier in the pandemic, but last fall it became available again. I ordered a midsize roll of the stuff several months ago without any trouble. A quick check this morning shows several MemBrain options listed by various sellers on Ebay, and they are supply houses selling through Ebay, not random bits of stuff garage sale style.
You may not see MemBrain at your usual source, but if you check around, you should be able to find it now.
Bill
Thanks for your comment, Bill. I just stopped by my local Home Depot and checked out the insulation aisle on a whim, because I had seen plenty of inventory there in the past. Lo and behold, they had seven 50ft rolls on their shelf. So I helped myself to all of them at $60 a roll. Whether that will get me through the project remains to be seen, but I'm glad I looked.