If you are having trouble deciding what concrete moisture barrier to use in your Northern, CA flooring project, call or visit Coatings Hub Norcal, your best source for flooring products and advice. Our flooring specialists can help you pick out the right product for your budget and material requirements.
Whether you are installing vinyl, linoleum, carpet, rubber, terrazzo, wood, or epoxy floor coatings on top of your concrete subfloor, we have moisture vapor control systems to protect your new floor.
Why Use Moisture Retarders?
Moisture migrating from the ground upwards is one of the primary ways water gets into homes, leading to increased indoor humidity, mold growth, and other problems. When installing a new concrete slab, you should first install a water vapor retarder or barrier onto a granular base such as crushed rock or gravel to trap moisture and prevent it from permeating the concrete and rising up into a building’s interior.
This kind of moisture barrier, also called moisture retarder, is a common part of building construction with standards laid out by ASTM, the American Society for Testing and Materials.
Protecting Your New Floor Starts Before It’s Laid
Vapor barriers aren’t just for ground-up construction. It’s smart to consider using one as part of any flooring project – including epoxy and other flooring finishes on top of existing concrete subfloors.
Without an adequate moisture barrier, you may end up with all kinds of future flooring failures.
- Mold & Mildew Damage
- Sealer Delamination
- Overlay Bond Failures
- Damage To Aggregates
- Blistering
- Grout Flaking & Chipping
Choosing The Right Moisture Barrier
MVPs are not one-size-fits-all. Many factors should be considered for the best results when choosing the right type of moisture vapor barrier.
- Flooring Types. Different types of flooring require different moisture barriers. What works under carpet may not be so good under hardwood or epoxy flooring.
- Perm Requirements. Permeance, often referred to as perm, measures how slowly or quickly water vapor moves through a material. For moisture-sensitive materials like floor coverings and adhesives, a low-permeance vapor barrier is usually recommended.
- Any Existing Moisture Problems. Some moisture barriers can help you remediate existing problems and be used on concrete that was installed without an underlying vapor retarder. Other products are not designed to be installed on already-damp surfaces.
Flooring Solutions In San Jose
At Coatings Hub Norcal, we carry a wide variety of flooring and moisture barrier products from top brands, including Koster, Super-Krete, Rhino Linings, BDC, E2U, CTM Adhesives, and other manufacturers. Call or come into our San Jose or Jamestown store to view our inventory and discuss your flooring project with our friendly associates.
