My dad told me to always put a vapor barrier behind drywall in my basement and I'm glad I listened

I was finishing my basement in my Michigan house last fall and almost skipped the plastic sheeting. A buddy said it was a waste of time and money, just paint the concrete with drylock and call it a day. My dad, who built houses for 40 years, told me point blank, 'If you don't put up that 6 mil poly, you'll have mold in two years.' I spent the extra $150 and a full day stapling it up. This spring, we had a ton of rain and the ground got soaked. When I pulled off a piece of trim to fix something, the back of the drywall was bone dry. My buddy's basement? He's dealing with damp spots and a musty smell. Why do so many online guides make this step seem optional?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy4941d ago

Wait, is it really that big of a deal everywhere though? I get it in a wet climate like Michigan, but what about a dry basement in Arizona? Feels like a one-size-fits-all rule online. Maybe those guides call it optional because it depends on your local ground and climate. Still, for a couple hundred bucks, I guess it's cheap insurance if you're not sure.

price.tara1d agoTop Commenter

Dry basement in Arizona" is what got me. The ground itself can hold a ton of moisture even if the air is dry. I saw a slab crack in Phoenix from vapor coming up through the concrete, no liquid water in sight. It ruins flooring and can cause mold.