Decided to skip the plastic under a small shed slab in Portland last fall

The ground looked dry and I figured the gravel base was enough, but after the first real rain the whole thing started to sweat and the finish turned milky. I learned that vapor barrier is not just for big jobs, even on a 10x12 pad. Anyone else get burned by skipping what seems like a small step?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.ryan7d ago

Yep, that's the kind of lesson you only learn once (and boy, did I learn it the hard way too, @amyc22).

amyc227d ago

My buddy did that on a little patio slab behind his garage. He was so sure the ground was packed and dry enough, but after a couple wet weeks, it looked like someone spilled a gallon of milk across the whole thing. He ended up having to chip off the top layer and redo it, which was a huge pain for such a small area. It's one of those things that seems optional until you're staring at the mess it makes.