PSA: Check your vapor barrier before you drywall

I've been helping a buddy finish his basement in St. Albert and pulled off a corner of the poly last week... the stuff was completely shredded behind the studs. The crew he hired stapled it way too tight and it ripped in like 6 places. That's just trapping moisture where you can't see it, leading to mold down the road. Anyone else find hidden tears after the framing went up?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunakim1mo ago

Figured something out last summer when I was insulating my own garage. Check the spots where the poly meets the concrete floor, especially if they used treated lumber for the bottom plate. The moisture from the concrete can wick up through the wood and actually rot the poly from behind over time, creating tiny holes you'd never catch with a visual check. I had a section that looked perfect until I peeled it back and found the plastic disintegrating where it touched the damp wood. Layering some rigid foam under the bottom plate as a spacer might save you from chasing that hidden mold later.

danielw8822d ago

Couldn't disagree more. @the_john's right about crew damage being the real issue here.

the_john1mo ago

Read somewhere that a lot of those vapor barrier tears happen when guys walk on the poly after it's laid down, not just from over-stapling. Something to watch for if your buddy's crew was stepping all over it during the framing.