How To Install Vapour Barrier In Basement Floor

In this guide we look at how vapour barriers work why you need them and how to install them.

How to install vapour barrier in basement floor. Vapour barrier poly installation steps. Also install a good bath fan and use it when showering. A vapor barrier consists of one or more layers of sheet plastic 6 mil visqueen on top of the soil in the crawlspace or basement. If water has already accumulated on the surface clean it before you start the installation process.

It provides an attached moisture barrier and has one of the higher r values on the market at 0 58. Polyurethane sheeting is a typical vapor barrier that contractors use to prevent moisture from penetrating the walls of a basement. How to install vapor barrier on concrete floor under laminate flooring always read the flooring manufacturers recommendations and instructions before installing the underlayment. The area on which you are installing the vapor barrier should be clean.

There are different thicknesses of poly that can be bought at your local building supply stores on various sized rolls but there is one thing that a vapour barrier grade poly needs and that is to be approved for use as a vapour barrier. All of this assumes that you have a dry basement with good site drainage working foundation drains and foundation waterproofing on the exterior. Because excessive dampness in a crawlspace or basement can condense you can install a vapor barrier to protect floor framing from becoming damp and covered with fungus efflorescence and rot. Too much humidity in a wine cellar can damage the corks and ruin the wine.

Thus installing vapor barriers on wall surfaces must. If you ve ever had a problem with a basement floor or any concrete floor you know the kind of damage that too much moisture can cause. If you have a wine cellar or basement add a vapor barrier there too. Vapor barriers are used because while fresh concrete is poured wet it s not supposed to stay that way.

It needs to dry and then stay dry to avoid flooring problems. Water vapor can pass through building materials in several ways including direct transmission and by heat transfer but studies suggest that fully 98 percent of the moisture transfer through walls occurs through air gaps including cracks around electrical fixtures and outlets and gaps along baseboards. A vapor barrier is also helpful to keeping a basement insulated and warm. Before rolling out the underlayment be sure to sweep vacuum and remove all debris on the substructure.

I would also recommend an airtight air vapor barrier on the bathroom ceiling to keep any moisture out of the floor system above. In canada it should be c g s b. What is a vapour control layer how do they work. It also has pre attached tape to help with the ease of installation.

For concrete basement floors that give off large amounts of moisture it might be worth considering installing a 6 mil vapor barrier with an underlayment that has an attached pad. The material is stapled to the frame of a basement wall before it is finished with plaster or drywall. The science of moisture movement.