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    Exactly what is a concrete vapor barrier?

    A concrete vapor barrier is any material that forestalls moisture from entering a concrete slab. Vapor barriers are used because while fresh concrete flows wet, it’s not designed to stay like that. It requires to dry and then stay dry in order to avoid flooring problems.

    If you’ve ever had an issue with a basement floor (or any concrete floor), you realize the level of damage the exact same thing much moisture may cause. Moisture enters concrete in many different ways, including using the ground, from humidity up, and thru leaky plumbing that goes through a slab. Naturally, there’s also the moisture that’s inside the original concrete mixture.

    There’s only one-way moisture leaves concrete, though, and that’s via its surface. In case you have a concrete floor that’s in continuous contact with a source of moisture, you’re planning to have problems. For this reason a vapor barrier under concrete is crucial. Vapor barriers are a great way to hold moisture from stepping into the concrete.

    Note: A vapor barrier isn’t the just like an underlayment. However, you can find underlayments that act as vapor barriers.

    Vapor barrier permeability is expressed in perms.

    Vapor barriers have varying examples of permeability, expressed in perms. The better the number, the harder permeable the material. Impermeable vapor barriers are the types using a rating of 0.1 perm or fewer while class II vapor retarders are the ones having a rating higher than 0.1 perm and much less than 1.0 perm.

    You’ll hear people using the terms ‘vapor barrier’ and ‘vapor retarder’ interchangeably. However, in fact, they aren’t the same thing. Vapor barriers are less permeable than vapor retarders. In the following paragraphs, i will be while using term ‘vapor barrier’.

    Exactly why is excessive moisture in concrete a challenge?

    One word: adhesives. Excessive moisture in concrete is an issue given it may cause pH changes that destroy adhesives. Here’s what are the results.

    As moisture makes its approach to the outer lining of an layer of concrete, soluble alkalies arrive for that ride and raise its surface pH above those of flooring adhesives. This causes the adhesives to breakdown and also you end up having flooring failures like swelling, bulging, or cupping.

    Do you want a vapor barrier with a concrete slab?

    In a word, yes. Here’s why.

    There’s usually water underneath a building site. It might not be close to the surface, however that doesn’t mean it’s not there. This water can progress with the soil and are available into exposure to the base of a concrete floor via capillary action. Capillary action could be stopped by installing something referred to as a capillary break, a layer of crushed rock which goes between the subgrade and also the slab.

    Capillary breaks do a good job of stopping water rolling around in its liquid state from reaching a slab. However, they can’t stop water in vapor form from reaching and entering a layer of concrete. Therefore, there should be something under the slab that forestalls vapor moisture from entering.

    You might also need a vapor barrier for liability reasons since the majority manufacturers of flooring include vapor barriers or retarders in their installation guidelines.

    How thick should a plastic vapor barrier be?

    Based on the Self-help guide to Concrete Floor and Slab Construction authored by the American Concrete Institute, a vapor retarder should not be lower than 10 mils thick. You may want an even thicker barrier though if you’re covering material with sharp angles.

    Important thing: Vapor barriers must be strong enough in order that they don’t easily puncture. If they do, moisture is certain to get in and that’s what you’re attempting to keep out.

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