Vapor Barrier Over Concrete Slab Carpet

A concrete vapor barrier is any material that prevents moisture from entering a concrete slab.

Vapor barrier over concrete slab carpet.

They look similar to carpet padding but they have a plastic film on the surface to block moisture. 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. Fill in any. Start with a vapor retarder with a perm rating that reflects the needs of the space.

I would recommend raven industries vaporblock 20 plus or the vaporblock plus 6 as two of the better ones since they also block out radon methane and voc s. If your concrete passes the moisture test then plastic sheeting at least 6 mils thick will prevent moisture from getting into your laminate flooring. Add the plywood layer on top and anchor it to the concrete with 15 concrete screws predrilled and countersunk per 4 x 8 ft. Lay the sheet over the concrete floor dimples down overlap adjacent edges and tape the seams.

Moisture barriers as the name implies set up a protective barrier to block moisture from reaching the pad and the carpet. Install a plastic vapor barrier. Dimpled polyethylene underlayment is available from home centers flooring suppliers or online. How to install vapor barrier on concrete floor under laminate flooring always read the flooring manufacturers recommendations and instructions before installing the underlayment.

But they have also proven to be beneficial in reducing failures of moisture sensitive flooring materials adhesives and coatings caused by excessive emission of moisture vapor from concrete slabs. Concrete absorbs and retains water and the moisture can seep into the carpet padding and then into the carpet. Any of our vapor barrier types of products can be used in this application over the concrete slab. It needs to dry and then stay dryto avoid flooring problems.

Where plastic sheets must be joined overlap the sheets by several inches and use strong vinyl tape to secure them. 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. Before rolling out the underlayment be sure to sweep vacuum and remove all debris on the substructure. Vapor barriers are used because while fresh concrete is poured wet it s not supposed to stay that way.

Vapor barriers have been associated with certain concrete slab on grade problems including curling and cracking. The layers above and below the concrete slab to prevent water seepage into the slab.