Concrete Slab Vapour Barrier

The term vapor barrier is often used interchangeably with the term vapor retarder to describe all membranes used to resist water vapor transmission.

Concrete slab vapour barrier.

This was verfied by some field studies conducted by concrete constructionmagazine. Once the water vapors gather underneath your flooring it will start to pool up and soak into your hardwood flooring. Vapor barriers are used because while fresh concrete is poured wet it s not supposed to stay that way. A concrete vapor barrier is simply a sheet of polyethylene plastic visqueen placed directly on top of the sub grade before the concrete floor or slab is poured to help keep moisture from the soil from passing up through the concrete.

Many moisture problems associated with interior concrete floors and slabs on grade can be minimized or eliminated by installing a vapor barrier under the concrete. A vapor barrier is an impermeable membrane primarily used to resist water vapor transmission from the soil to the concrete slab. Since concrete is porous water vapors transmits from the ground through the concrete slab into your basement. The use of underslab vapor barriers is the best method and most economical solution for controlling water vapor migration through concrete slabs.

Thinner plastic can t stand up to the abuse of construction. Stego industries is the leader in the below slab concrete vapor barrier market. It prevents moisture from coming up through the slab ie rising damp. Uncontrolled water vapor through concrete slabs has cost building owners designers and contractors billions of dollars.

Their use should be avoided where ground moisture conditions permit. It needs to dry and then stay dryto avoid flooring problems. If ground conditions require their use a 3 inch 75 millimeter layer of sand over the vapor barrier and under the concrete has been shown to reduce these problems. A concrete vapor barrier is any material that prevents moisture from entering a concrete slab.

Vapor barriers aggravate the problems of plastic and shrinkage cracking. Vapor and gas barriers. This can be a time saver where the placement team has a predictable surface on the site throughout. Aci 302 1 guide for concrete floor and slab construction states that the minimum thickness of an effective vapor barrier is 10 mils.

Once this happens the flooring can buckle or warp and cause havoc. Furthermore placing concrete directly on the vapor barrier s consistent surface can make finishing of the slab more even.