Just what is a concrete vapor barrier?

A concrete vapor barrier is any material that stops moisture from entering a layer of concrete. Vapor barriers are used because while fresh concrete is poured wet, it’s not supposed to stay doing this. It has to dry and then stay dry to prevent flooring problems.

If you’ve had an issue with a basement floor (or any concrete floor), you already know the level of damage the exact same thing much moisture can cause. Moisture enters concrete in several ways, including using the ground, from humidity up, via leaky plumbing that passes through a slab. Obviously, there’s the moisture which was from the original concrete mixture.

There’s only one-way moisture leaves concrete, though, and that’s via its surface. If you have a concrete floor that’s in continuous connection with an origin of moisture, you’re going to have issues. That is why a vapor barrier under concrete is vital. Vapor barriers are a way to help keep moisture from getting into the concrete.

Note: A vapor barrier is not the comparable to an underlayment. However, you can find underlayments that act as vapor barriers.

Vapor barrier permeability is expressed in perms.

Vapor barriers have varying degrees of permeability, expressed in perms. The better the number, the greater permeable the material. Impermeable vapor barriers are the type having a rating of 0.1 perm or less while class II vapor retarders are the type which has a rating more than 0.1 perm and fewer than 1.0 perm.

You’ll hear people using the terms ‘vapor barrier’ and ‘vapor retarder’ interchangeably. However, in fact, they aren’t a similar thing. Vapor barriers are less permeable than vapor retarders. In this article, we will be while using the term ‘vapor barrier’.

Why is too much moisture in concrete a problem?

One word: adhesives. Excessive moisture in concrete is a problem as it might cause pH changes that destroy adhesives. Here’s how are you affected.

As moisture makes its strategy to the surface of the layer of concrete, soluble alkalies show up for that ride and raise its surface pH above those of flooring adhesives. This leads to the adhesives to breakdown and also you end up with flooring failures including swelling, bulging, or cupping.

Do you need a vapor barrier within layer of concrete?

In short, yes. Here’s why.

There’s almost always water underneath a structure site. It might not be close to the surface, however that doesn’t mean it’s not there. This water can progress up with the soil and come into experience of the bottom of a concrete floor via capillary action. Capillary action could be stopped by using something known as a capillary break, a layer of crushed rock which goes involving the subgrade along with the slab.

Capillary breaks do a sufficient 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 ought to be something within the slab that stops vapor moisture from entering.

There is also a vapor barrier for liability reasons because most manufacturers of flooring include vapor barriers or retarders inside their installation guidelines.

How thick should a plastic vapor barrier be?

Based on the Help guide Concrete Floor and Slab Construction published by the American Concrete Institute, a vapor retarder should not be below 10 mils thick. You will need a good thicker barrier though if you’re covering material with sharp angles.

Net profit: Vapor barriers should be sufficiently strong enough enough so that they don’t easily puncture. When they do, moisture is certain to get in and that’s what you’re always keeping out.

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