Vapor Barrier Concrete Basement Floor
Any kind of persistent moisture will allow mold to get a foothold and soon ruin carpet or wood flooring.
Vapor barrier concrete basement floor. A concrete floor seems like the perfect base for a vinyl floor installation. If you ve ever had a problem with a basement floor or any concrete floor you. Vapor barrier is a no and i highly recommend the dricore solution it makes for a much warmer floor that will be well insulated from the cold concrete while still allowing it to breath. Here s an overview of the vapor barrier along with its benefits and drawbacks including important facts that you should know about it as it pertains to basements.
A concrete floor with a too high moisture content can wreak havoc on a vinyl floor. My basement wall is insulated with a 2 inches of styrofoam on the interior and i built a 2 4 wall and added roxul insulation. One of the reasons those old basement floors were like that was because they had no vapor barrier beneath them leaving an easy path for water vapor from the soil to migrate into the slab assuring that the cold clammy damp feeling never went away. It is for a bathroom with a tiled shower.
See what goes into waterproofing a basement too. All three companies vapor barriers meet or exceeds all requirements of astm e 1745 09 class a b c. It needs to dry and then stay dry to avoid flooring problems. Check these three companies out for yourself and make your own decision as to which one is the best concrete floor vapor barrier for your project.
Learn what a vapor barrier is and discover whether it is really necessary in a basement or if it is just an added seal with no use. The last thing you want your customers to envision when thinking of a concrete floor is a damp cold basement slab. I planned to install vapor barrier on top. If not you could go with a thicker padding but it won t be as effective as the dricore.
A vapor barrier should be used for all concrete floors and slabs that are going to receive an impermeable floor finish like epoxy laminate linoleum and wood or if the concrete floor will be used for any purpose where the passage of water vapor through the floor may create problems. Before rolling out the underlayment be sure to sweep vacuum and remove all debris on the substructure. A concrete vapor barrier is any material that prevents moisture from entering a concrete slab. I live in central ontario canada.
For a dry mold free finished basement floor always install a vapor barrier before laying a wood subfloor or carpet pad. A moisture barrier may or may not be needed to insure good adhesion of your vinyl floor so do your homework to avoid problems later on down the road.