Moisture barrier needed for carpet on concrete slab


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Old 07-05-13, 09:05 PM
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Moisture barrier needed for carpet on concrete slab

I'm replacing the carpet in the bedrooms of my house. I removed the carpet and padding and found a few hairline cracks (smaller than the tip of a nail) in the slab. None start at the exterior wall and it doesn't appear water has ever come through. I plan on using a concrete caulk sealer on them.

However the tack boards along the exterior walls in two of the bedrooms are rotten. The slab is about 6 inches off the ground one side of the house and 8 inches on the other side. There were plants on along both sides of the house right up against the siding, I removed all of them. One side has appropriate grading the other side, not so much but I will be fixing that before I install the carpet. The previous owner said the A/C condenser was clogged and leaked water everywhere. That happened to be on the side with the improper grading so the excess moisture doesn't explain the other side.

I'm going to remove the exterior wall baseboards to check for mold and to replace them. There is a musty smell. Once that is all checked out, should lay down a moisture barrier before the padding?
 
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Old 07-06-13, 10:14 AM
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Most likely the tack strips used were not rated for cement contact. In buildings, any lumber that touches concrete is to be pressure treated. Take a piece of plastic and tape it down to the cement (use a trash bag and duct tape). Leave for a day or two and then lift. If dry, no vapor barrier is needed. If it shows signs of condensation, add a vapor barrier to the mix. Your flooring supplier can recommend the correct thickness.
 
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Old 07-06-13, 10:27 PM
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Ahhh thanks. This is my first home built on a concrete slab, learning a lot. I will try the plastic barrier test.
 
 

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