Question regarding insulation between cement wall and drywall?

Question

I live in a townhouse with neighbors on both sides, divided by cement walls. I was planning to put drywall up using furring strips on the cement wall. My question is, do i need to put a some kind of moisture barrier after the furring strips before i put up the drywall? I read somewhere that it is not necessary to do this because the other side of the wall is the neighbors wall and not outside. Is this correct?

Answer 1

It is always a good idea to put up a moisture barrier, but since the other side of the wall is your neighbors wall, it shouldn't be necessary. If it were an outside wall though, then I would suggest putting a moisture barrier up to prevent the moisture from ruining the drywall.

Answer 2

Consider this: Most subterranean basements are made of concrete walls. Many finished basements have wood-paneled walls. How many basements have you seen with moisture on either side of the panels?

I have even removed such panels (minor repairs and major overhauls), and found no moisture on the concrete, because the panels acted as an insulator.

No panelling (or similar) job that I have ever seen is 100% air tight between the concrete and the panel, so, clearly, there is no air circulation between the two, and, thus, little possibility for humidity to form.

Assuming you are not in a flood zone and there are no cracks in the foundation or concrete wall, there should be no need to add a moisture barrier. Just make sure that the finished basement has adequate air circulation in the "living" area (if only for *your* comfort!), and try to keep the humidity below 80% (not as easy as it sounds in a basement!). A dehumidifier will do the trick, especially if the basement does NOT have good air circulation, but, just as a warning, it gets really, really tedious to have to empty the thing on a daily basis! Not to mention the inevitable spills!

However, if you feel the need to add some kind of barrier, I'd go with a waterproofing paint for the cement (expensive, but worth it). Make sure to fill-in any cracks or holes, first!