Loading…
23
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?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
johnson.ryan5mo ago
Yep, that's the kind of lesson you only learn once (and boy, did I learn it the hard way too, @amyc22).
5
amyc225mo 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.
1
noahs823mo ago
He was so sure the ground was packed and dry enough" - that's exactly what I told myself when I poured a small path between my garden shed and the back gate. Looked fine for about six weeks, then we had one of those slow drizzles that just keeps going for days. The whole path started sinking on one side and cracking. Ended up pulling it all out with a sledgehammer and starting fresh with a proper gravel base. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way that shortcuts with concrete never pay off.
4