I wish to lay vinyl sheet (not tiles) on a concrete floor. What, if anything, do I need to put between the concrete and the vinyl? I am especially concerned about rising damp.
- posted
13 years ago
Vinyl on concrete
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- posted
13 years ago
Nothing. Vinyl is a 100% barrier against damp. If the slab's damp a) use a genuinely waterproof glue, such as bitumen. PU etc arent fully waterproof, despite many thinking they are. b) Vinyl on a damp slab leads to the slab getting a lot wetter, as evaporation is blocked, and this can cause RD in the walls or in some cases muold under the vinyl. I prefer to avoid vinyl if its damp.
NT
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- posted
13 years ago
I had a concrete slab that got damp when it rained a lot, despite having a drain below the foundations, and a plastic barrier under the concrete. I guess there was a hole in the plastic somewhere. Before I had vinyl laid I painted the concrete with some magic stuff that appeared to be a cement and rubber mixture, and that stopped the dampness. I'm in NZ so it's probably called something different in the UK.
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- posted
13 years ago
Contractors normally put a 5mm latex screed down first. This creates a smooth finish (essential for vinyl) as well as preventing damp.
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- posted
13 years ago
Lets look closer at what it does. Vinyl blocks damp, so another waterproof layer wont make a difference there. What it does is enable a glue to be used that wont tolerate prolonged wetness. Its cheaper & easier to just use a glue that will.
No solution stops damp coming up the walls. In fact waterproofing the slab or laying vinyl increases the likelihood of this.
NT