Do I Need A Vapor Barrier Under Carpet

Any kind of persistent moisture will allow mold to get a foothold and soon ruin carpet or wood flooring.

Do i need a vapor barrier under carpet.

You only need to worry about the moisture barrier when it comes to a concrete subfloor so you do not need one in this case. A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter. The felt paper is a good option for hardwood but since you re nailing the hardwood down you do not need a foam underlayment. If you use one it is no harm but you don t really need it.

Not every wall does. See what goes into waterproofing a basement too. Any of our vapor barrier types of products can be used in this application over the concrete slab. The crawl space has a scratch coat of cement on the floor.

Before one can make the best decision regarding whether or not to place a vapor barrier under a concrete floor slab on grade it is important to understand the sources of moisture how it moves through the slab and how it adversely affects certain floor coverings adhesives and coatings. Whether or not you need a vapor retarder hinges on three main factors. It will not only help you keep your carpet clean and dry but it will also protect the wood or cement underneath the carpet from becoming damaged. For a dry mold free finished basement floor always install a vapor barrier before laying a wood subfloor or carpet pad.

But what was done was that a vapor barrier was stapled to the bottom of the subfloor apparently prior to putting down the subfloor since. For below grade slabs assume that the concrete floor will get damp. Installing a moisture barrier underneath your carpet is a always a good idea.