Recessed box or niche in an exterior wall

A shower niche, medicine cabinet, panel or deep box can remove insulation and interrupt air/vapour control in a cold wall.

Decision triage

VERT / GREEN · JAUNE / YELLOW · ROUGE / RED

Deep recess replaces most insulation Air/vapour barrier cut without detail Plumbing in cold portion behind recess Recess kept warm-side with continuity

What the professional checks

The professional checks condensation-plane temperature, remaining insulation, air/vapour control, service freeze risk and local waterproofing.

Official sources

Sources checked: 2026-08-24

V14

Systems to check before closing the work

V14 connects envelope, air, fire, structure, water and code instead of treating each project in isolation.

Renovation dependenciesEnvelope and condensationHidden services before drillingCode versions

V15

Remaining system checks not to miss

V15 covers issues that can block a project, cause a loss or become expensive once concealed.

Before closing wallsPost-renovation commissioningCodes + climate by province