Concrete Slab Vapor Barrier Thickness

The thickness and material these vapor barriers are made of are sub standard to the newer thicker 10 mil and 15 mil vapor barriers.

Concrete slab vapor barrier thickness.

For a vapor barrier below a concrete floor slab most choose 6 to 10 mil polyethylene. Per 1 000 ft2 per 24 hours or 100 rh. Required coverage is 75 ft2per gallon which yields a cured film thickness of 22 mils. It used to be 4 mil thick and 6 mil thick polyethelene sheeting was sufficient but not anymore.

According to the guide to concrete floor and slab constructionpublished by the american concrete institute a vapor retarder should not be less than 10 mils thick. Because extruded polystyrene insulating board will absorb little moisture the vapor barrier can be placed above or below the slab insulation. The minimum building code requirement for a vapor barrier is 6 mils 0 006 inch. Thinner plastic can t stand up to the abuse of construction.

The american concrete institute s guide for concrete floor and slab construction recommends that the thickness of the vapor retarder be at least 10 mils. Which concrete vapor barrier thickness is best at blocking moisture vapor transmission from coming up through a concrete floor or slab. This was verfied by some field studies conducted by concrete constructionmagazine. Puncture studies of 6 8 10 and 20 mil vapor retarder materials have shown that 10 mils is the minimum thickness that should be considered and thicker material may be necessary over angular base materials.

The correct thickness of concrete vapor barriers being placed under concrete slabs and floors has been debated for many years. Perminator provides the vapor barrier industry with a highly effective economical choice for helping to reduce the penetration of moisture and water vapor through the slab into the structure thereby helping to reduce fungus mildew and mold growth. Our moistureblock is a 6 mil polyethylene film vapor barrier that is used during the installation process with floating laminate luxury vinyl planks and engineered wood floors. Perminator is available in 10 mil and 15 mil thicknesses.

Vapor barriers satisfying the requirements of astm e 1745 09 typically have a thickness of 10 mils 0 010 inch or 15 mils 0 015 inch but can be thicker depending upon the material and the manufacturer. Vapor barriers come in two types 6 mil vapor barrier roll.