Moisture Barrier Between Wood And Concrete

Meadows makes a concrete vapor barrier called perminator.

Moisture barrier between wood and concrete.

When installing certain types of flooring such as sheet vinyl the moisture content of the concrete can be a problem. 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. Without the proper moisture barrier vinyl flooring acts as a moisture barrier causing it to buckle bubble and lift. The difficulty of course is that if the moisture barrier is compromised in any way moisture from the slab beneath can still damage the flooring or finish.

During the replacement i attempted to reduce the moisture transference into the wood by installing some tar paper to act as a vapor barrier between the wood and the concrete slab. Concrete may seem very dense but it is actually full of small pores that will absorb water from the ground. So there is enough gap for air to flow. Apparently i may have made worse because we just had to replace the sub flooring again here within the last month.

Below grade walls and floor slabs transmit ground moisture through concrete walls or slabs. Perminator also helps reduce radon gases from entering a building through. It is better to require some sort of phsyical barrier between concrete and wood treated or not treated. Or you can leave a 4 inch gap between the studs and concrete wall and probably get away with it.

Most jurisdictions require a 4 mil plastic sheet vapor barrier for basement walls against concrete. 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. Perminator vapor barriers help reduce the penetration of moisture and water vapor through the slab and into the building which helps reduce mold fungus and mildew. Moisture barrier between the sole plate the concrete slab.

Meadows 10 and 15 mil vapor barrier. Most commercial specs for building forbid non treated wood in direct contact with concrete. After concrete s initial cure when it is expelling it s water content and shrinking it then acts like a sponge and absorbs moisture. These plates must be made of pressure.

Sole plates or sill plates are the first pieces of framing lumber placed in home construction. For floating floors manufacturers often recommend installing a moisture barrier between the subfloor and the floating floor to prevent moisture intrusion. A vapor barrier against the concrete surface is generally recommended before wood framing or flooring materials are installed.