In building construction water vapor should always be controlled. When a concrete floor is poured a vapor and gas barrier should be placed beneath. Here’s why…
There are a few reasons why a concrete vapor barrier is absolutely a necessity when you pour a concrete floor. The first reason is economical; the vapor barrier installed beneath the floor is relatively cheap when you compare its cost to the replacement cost of a failed floor. If you have a floor covering over the slab floor, moisture can penetrate the slab as vapor and then condense beneath the flooring, possibly destroying the floor covering above. The second reason is the most obvious: concrete is a porous material. It’s a strong material, but vapor can pass through, especially when you remember that water vapor will move from a high humidity environment–like below a structure—to a low relative humidity. That simple vapor barrier installed beneath the slab of concrete will prevent the passage of water vapor. Health is another reason to install a vapor barrier. You could have a brand-new building, and already you smell the odor of mildew and mold. That the vapor coming up through the floor. It’s likely that you didn’t hire experienced contractors like those at Shotcrete Montana, who would have installed a vapor barrier before pouring the floor. That mold and mildew could negatively impact the health of anyone inside the building. And studies have even shown that a vapor barrier placed beneath a concrete floor can limit the amount of radon gas present in the building. The radon, like the water vapor, will be blocked from entry by the vapor barrier. And radon is bad stuff; it’s the second most known cause of lung cancer in the United States; the leading cause of lung cancer for all non-smokers.
These are all reasons why you should hire a quality concrete contractor like Shotcrete Montana to first lay a vapor barrier and then to pour a concrete floor. If you have any questions about your next upcoming concrete project, then call the concrete/shotcrete experts at Shotcrete Montana today.
