Template

Swedish 1970s house, insulated outside

Common retrofit (tilläggsisolering): a 1970s timber frame wall with an extra 70 mm of mineral wool and new wind barrier and panel outside.

Sweden

8 layers · 274 mm

Climate

Indoor temperature 20.0 °C

10 °C 28 °C

Indoor humidity 38 %

20 % 95 %

Set automatically from outdoor climate

Humidity class (EN ISO 13788)

Outdoor temperature -5.0 °C

-30 °C 40 °C

Outdoor humidity 80 %

30 % 100 %

Build-up

Layers from inside to outside

Inside (warm) 8 layers · 274 mm

1 Gypsum plasterboard

Thickness
mm
2 PE vapour barrier (sd 100 m)

Thickness
mm
3 Mineral wool 035

Thickness
mm
4 Old asphalt-impregnated board

Thickness
mm
5 Added insulation (tilläggsisolering)

Thickness
mm
6 Gypsum wind barrier board

Thickness
mm
7 Ventilation gap ventilated

Thickness
mm
8 New wood panel (träpanel) not effective

Thickness
mm

Outside (cold)

Result

No condensation

The indoor dew point (5.3 °C) is reached in layer 3 “Mineral wool 035” – but so little vapour gets there that the vapour pressure stays below saturation.

U-value

0.19 W/m²K

per EN ISO 6946

Indoor dew point

5.3 °C

20.0 °C · 38 % RH

Inner surface

18.8 °C

41 % RH at the inner surface

sd value

100 m

effective layers

Interstitial condensation

at 38 % indoors: outdoor temperature not down to −30 °C

at -5.0 °C outdoors: indoor humidity above 92 %

Surface mould risk

at 38 % indoors: outdoor temperature not down to −30 °C

at -5.0 °C outdoors: indoor humidity above 74 %

Cross-section

Temperature and dew point across the build-up – hover for details

Temperature Dew point (linear vapour pressure) Dew point above temperature Condensation (Glaser) Indoor air dew point

Values at layer boundaries

Boundary	x [mm]	sd [m]	θ [°C]	θ_dew [°C]	p_s [Pa]	p [Pa]	RH [%]
Inner surface	0.0	0.00	18.8	5.3	2,175	892	41
1 \| 2	13.0	0.10	18.6	5.3	2,142	891	42
2 \| 3	13.2	100	18.6	-7.5	2,142	323	15
3 \| 4	133.2	100	4.7	-7.5	856	322	38
4 \| 5	145.2	100	3.6	-7.6	792	322	41
5 \| 6	215.2	100	-4.5	-7.6	420	321	76
Outer side	224.2	100	-4.6	-7.6	414	321	78

Critical conditions

At which outdoor temperature and indoor humidity does it get critical?

safe Mould risk (surface > 80 %) Interstitial condensation current conditions

Glaser diagram

Vapour pressure must not touch the saturation pressure

Saturation pressure Vapour pressure (Glaser)

How it works

Temperature profile

The temperature drops across each layer in proportion to its thermal resistance R = d/λ. Surface resistances are R_si = 0.25 and R_se = 0.04 m²K/W (0.08 behind a ventilation gap). Layers outside a ventilated air gap are ignored.

Dew point & condensation

The indoor air has a dew point (e.g. 9.3 °C at 20 °C / 50 %). Reaching it inside the build-up alone is not a problem – what matters is how much vapour gets there. The Glaser method compares the vapour pressure with the saturation pressure; where they meet, condensation forms.

Limitations

A steady-state estimate (EN ISO 13788) without capillary transport, moisture storage or thermal bridges. Capillary-active internal insulation is rated conservatively. For a detailed assessment use a hygrothermal simulation (e.g. WUFI).