This was an interesting question that someone asked me the other day. Every application that I’ve ever used Vapor Barriers in have been safe but I was still startled that I didn’t have a more detailed answer as to “Why they are safe.” I decided to look into it further.
Vapor barriers are inherently safe. There are however, ways of using them and installing them improperly that make them unsafe. The good news is that there are things to look into and look out for when researching a vapor barrier for your basement or construction project.
Vapor Barriers are typically a thin sheet of plastic (composition varies from brand to brand), normally polyethylene, that are placed on basement walls, or on new home walls to minimize the amount of moisture, water, and or air from penetrating into the home.
Being that vapor barriers and diffusers are now considered normal parts of most construction projects (residential and commercial) there are things that have to be considered. Introducing a vapor barrier on the 1st and 2nd floor requires a different list of considerations than those installed on the foundation itself. With the two areas being drastically different in how moisture and liquid water attempt to enter the spaces, the grade of vapor barrier and the way that it’s installed has to be different.
To make sure that you’re using the right Vapor Barrier for your basement moisture control and installing it the right way follow these simple tips:
1.) Find a Vapor Barrier (Not a diffuser) with a PERM rating of .001 or lower. The lower the number the better it can stop moisture from coming through.
2.) Don’t install it on the front of your studs before placing dry wall on top of it. This is the wrong way to do things. Vapor barriers should always be installed directly on the foundation wall.
3.) Make sure the vapor barrier is smooth and that all openings are sealed, taped or caulked closed. This will limit air transfer and will help to make sure that your vapor barrier isn’t allowing any bad things to come with the air from underneath your basement floor.
4.) Run your vapor barrier to an interior drain system like the GrateDrain. If you don’t you’ll end up with pools of water, moisture and condensation along your bottom edge. Connecting your vapor barrier to a drain controls where the moisture/water end up. Channeling it to a drain system fully protects your wall.
And here are a few “common sense” safety tips:
*Keep out of the mouths of children
*Don’t let a child or a person wrap a vapor barrier around their nose or mouth
*Don’t stab pointy, sharp or jagged objects into the vapor barrier, you can puncture it and render it useless.
*Use a Basement Health Contractor to properly install this vapor barrier.
*Don’t install it on the outside of finished studs in the basement.
Showing posts with label vapor barriers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vapor barriers. Show all posts
10/13/2009
Sump pumps aren’t the only things that solve wet basements
Having blogged about basement waterproofing for well over 2 years now, I’ve come across plenty of misunderstandings about sump pumps and their place in the waterproofing “solution bag.”
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Many customers call, thinking that all they need is a sump pump, when the majority of the cases, it couldn’t be further from the actual solution.
The sump pump is a mechanical device that sits on the front lines of any moisture issue in the basement. It is designed to be the easiest, quickest, and most volume displacing method of getting water out from underneath your basement floor. Sump pumps are a great answer if all you have is ground water coming in contact with your basement floor. However, it’s very rare that this would be the ONLY way that water was trying to get into your basement.
There are two other ways that water typically comes into the basement (and I’ve talked at length about these): inward migration of moisture through the foundation walls and water coming in through the gap between the footing and foundation wall.
Unless the moisture and liquid water somehow only get diverted to underneath the basement floor, and you experience absolutely not seepage around the floor/wall joint, then it’s possible that the sump pump might be the only solution you need. But 99% of the time, the sump pump is only part of the solution.
Other solutions to consider:
Interior Drainage
A subfloor drainage system can help to capture most of the water coming through the footing / wall joint that a sump pump alone would miss. Interior drainage is connected to the sump location and can in fact help the sump pump to deal with more volume then just the sump alone. Drainage at the other end of the basement can help to ferry water through it’s channels to the pump, where as in the pump would have to work twice as hard to reach the same water.
Water, a natural level, will always seek its own level. As a sump pump works it lowers the level of water near it, however, the water further away is still at a slightly higher level. This creates a shift and the water will rock to level itself out naturally. If drainage was present, the water could uniformly be removed faster and with less resistance.
Foundation Wall Vapor Barrier
Vapor Barriers have had people confused for years now. Correctly attaching a vapor barrier directly to the foundation wall will drastically limit humidity and the level of moisture that can break into the basement via the foundation walls. Vapor barrier can be directly connected to interior drainage and any moisture or liquid water that is trapped by it, will find its way to the drain and be directed to the sump pump basin.
One of the most common questions that I’ve received about Vapor Barrier is “Do I need it?”
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The answer as I’ve stated before, is a strongly suggestive YES. It will help to completely address all the possible entry points of moisture into the basement, provide long term protection against wall leaks and wicking.
If you don’t use a vapor barrier, I wouldn’t suggest finishing off the basement until you did.
Many customers call, thinking that all they need is a sump pump, when the majority of the cases, it couldn’t be further from the actual solution.
The sump pump is a mechanical device that sits on the front lines of any moisture issue in the basement. It is designed to be the easiest, quickest, and most volume displacing method of getting water out from underneath your basement floor. Sump pumps are a great answer if all you have is ground water coming in contact with your basement floor. However, it’s very rare that this would be the ONLY way that water was trying to get into your basement.
There are two other ways that water typically comes into the basement (and I’ve talked at length about these): inward migration of moisture through the foundation walls and water coming in through the gap between the footing and foundation wall.
Unless the moisture and liquid water somehow only get diverted to underneath the basement floor, and you experience absolutely not seepage around the floor/wall joint, then it’s possible that the sump pump might be the only solution you need. But 99% of the time, the sump pump is only part of the solution.
Other solutions to consider:
Interior Drainage
A subfloor drainage system can help to capture most of the water coming through the footing / wall joint that a sump pump alone would miss. Interior drainage is connected to the sump location and can in fact help the sump pump to deal with more volume then just the sump alone. Drainage at the other end of the basement can help to ferry water through it’s channels to the pump, where as in the pump would have to work twice as hard to reach the same water.
Water, a natural level, will always seek its own level. As a sump pump works it lowers the level of water near it, however, the water further away is still at a slightly higher level. This creates a shift and the water will rock to level itself out naturally. If drainage was present, the water could uniformly be removed faster and with less resistance.
Foundation Wall Vapor Barrier
Vapor Barriers have had people confused for years now. Correctly attaching a vapor barrier directly to the foundation wall will drastically limit humidity and the level of moisture that can break into the basement via the foundation walls. Vapor barrier can be directly connected to interior drainage and any moisture or liquid water that is trapped by it, will find its way to the drain and be directed to the sump pump basin.
One of the most common questions that I’ve received about Vapor Barrier is “Do I need it?”
The answer as I’ve stated before, is a strongly suggestive YES. It will help to completely address all the possible entry points of moisture into the basement, provide long term protection against wall leaks and wicking.
If you don’t use a vapor barrier, I wouldn’t suggest finishing off the basement until you did.
8/07/2009
Grate Products Flexi-Flange, what it is, what it does, and how it helps to control moisture in your basement.
Flexi-Flange isn’t one of the more popular products that Grate Products has produced, but it could be considered one of the most important.
The Flexi-Flange is designed to create the seal at the point where our Wall Protection Vapor Barrier meets the concrete of your basement floor. Its primary function is to close off access to the basement from under your basement slab and from behind our vapor barrier. At this point it also performs a few other key functions.
It protects the vapor barrier. The flange does this by lying on top of the vapor barrier. This makes sure that any of the concrete used to seal back the floor doesn’t interfere with the vapor barrier and keeps any separation from happening at the floor and wall joint.
The flexi-flange also allows the vapor barrier to continuously connect with the drain under the floor by allowing minor movements without breaking the seal with the concrete. This ensures continuous flow from the vapor barrier to the drain and stop point if water tries to jump the circuit.
For that homeowner with older, open back systems, the flange is designed to be reversible. This way we can retrofit most open back systems with wall protection and to seal off the open back system to provide true basement moisture protection. Without a vapor barrier and with an open channel in your drainage system you open yourself up to a list of hazards that many companies won’t speak about: added moisture and humidity, radon, bugs, and air from under your basement floor.
Considering that you had an open back system installed in the first place means that you were trying to have your basement waterproofed the right way. So this flange is designed to complete the design that wasn’t installed. Vapor barrier to protect your walls can be installed and your flange will close off the gap, easily sealing off the channel and allowing the vapor barrier to drain to the system without air, water, or other nasty things to jump the system back into your basement.
By creating the seal of the vapor barrier and drain the flexi flange becomes one of the most important sealed system aspects of any Grate Drain system. It’s a little known innovation by Grate Products, however it helps to maintain the system by simply existing. With no maintenance it’s a part that many homeowners forget about, however without it your vapor barrier might become damaged more easily, water might be able to jump the system and air would be able to flow up into your basement from under your floor.
The Flexi-Flange is designed to create the seal at the point where our Wall Protection Vapor Barrier meets the concrete of your basement floor. Its primary function is to close off access to the basement from under your basement slab and from behind our vapor barrier. At this point it also performs a few other key functions.
It protects the vapor barrier. The flange does this by lying on top of the vapor barrier. This makes sure that any of the concrete used to seal back the floor doesn’t interfere with the vapor barrier and keeps any separation from happening at the floor and wall joint.
The flexi-flange also allows the vapor barrier to continuously connect with the drain under the floor by allowing minor movements without breaking the seal with the concrete. This ensures continuous flow from the vapor barrier to the drain and stop point if water tries to jump the circuit.
For that homeowner with older, open back systems, the flange is designed to be reversible. This way we can retrofit most open back systems with wall protection and to seal off the open back system to provide true basement moisture protection. Without a vapor barrier and with an open channel in your drainage system you open yourself up to a list of hazards that many companies won’t speak about: added moisture and humidity, radon, bugs, and air from under your basement floor.
Considering that you had an open back system installed in the first place means that you were trying to have your basement waterproofed the right way. So this flange is designed to complete the design that wasn’t installed. Vapor barrier to protect your walls can be installed and your flange will close off the gap, easily sealing off the channel and allowing the vapor barrier to drain to the system without air, water, or other nasty things to jump the system back into your basement.
By creating the seal of the vapor barrier and drain the flexi flange becomes one of the most important sealed system aspects of any Grate Drain system. It’s a little known innovation by Grate Products, however it helps to maintain the system by simply existing. With no maintenance it’s a part that many homeowners forget about, however without it your vapor barrier might become damaged more easily, water might be able to jump the system and air would be able to flow up into your basement from under your floor.
5/22/2008
Vapor Barriers and why you need them.
::::::::::::::
Vapor Barriers and why you need them.
There’s a lot of talk circulating around forums and interest boards about basement waterproofing. A standard question comes up about this topic about Vapor Barriers: Do I need one and how do I install it?
Simple:
Traditional techniques dictate that the location of the Vapor Barrier should be placed outside of the studs, covering both the studs and the insulation. The drywall is then installed on top of the Barrier. It’s the right idea in the wrong order....
::::::::::::
To read the rest of the blog please click the Title link and read the rest.
I can't stress enough the importance of this major element in the health of the Basement. Just by installing it wrong you open yourself up to so many problems that could have been negated just by doing some research or by simply biting your pride and calling someone for advice or an estimate.
If you have any questions about why I stress this, comment, I can contact you and link to you articles and other information that's vital to this idea.
Vapor Barriers and why you need them.
There’s a lot of talk circulating around forums and interest boards about basement waterproofing. A standard question comes up about this topic about Vapor Barriers: Do I need one and how do I install it?
Simple:
Traditional techniques dictate that the location of the Vapor Barrier should be placed outside of the studs, covering both the studs and the insulation. The drywall is then installed on top of the Barrier. It’s the right idea in the wrong order....
::::::::::::
To read the rest of the blog please click the Title link and read the rest.
I can't stress enough the importance of this major element in the health of the Basement. Just by installing it wrong you open yourself up to so many problems that could have been negated just by doing some research or by simply biting your pride and calling someone for advice or an estimate.
If you have any questions about why I stress this, comment, I can contact you and link to you articles and other information that's vital to this idea.
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