New Jersey Basement Vapor Barrier Installation
Central, Northern NJ, and the Jersey Shore's Basement Encapsulation Pros
Are you considering finishing your basement? What about just storing boxes down there? Either way, you need to protect the space from moisture and water, which otherwise can destroy your basement and damage any property you keep down there.
To protect your basement and your New Jersey home, you need expert basement waterproofing, including vapor barrier installation on your basement walls. Basement wall vapor barriers, also called basement encapsulation, foundation wall wraps, or waterproof basement liners, are installed floor to ceiling on all your basement walls to keep water and moisture at bay and your property safe.
Blue Umbrella is New Jersey's trusted waterproofing company to help you protect your basement from moisture with expert basement vapor barrier installation.
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What is a Basement Moisture (Vapor) Barrier, and How Does it Work?
A basement vapor barrier, or moisture barrier, is a non-porous plastic liner applied to the interior of your basement's foundation.
The impermeable barrier keeps moisture of any kind from getting into your New Jersey basement through the foundation walls. Once installed, the impermeable foundation wrap traps any moisture that seeps through between the barrier and the wall. It is similar to a pool liner in a pool, but while a pool liner holds all of the water in the pool, the vapor barrier holds all of the water out of the basement.
This trapped water is funneled down into french drains installed below the floor against the basement walls. The french drains transport any collected water to a sump pump, which pumps the water out of your home. The vapor barrier also has an anti-microbial additive manufactured into the material. But do you need a vapor barrier in the first place?
Do I Need a Basement Vapor Barrier?
Yes, all homeowners should install a vapor barrier (basement encapsulation) in their basements. In places like New Jersey, with high humidity and water tables, moisture barriers are essential to complete your waterproofing system. Without a moisture barrier, interior basement walls can become moist and damp.
What Types of Walls Need Vapor Barriers?
No matter what material your basement foundation walls are made of, a foundation wall wrap is a good idea. But some foundation wall types need it more than others.
Basements made of brick or stone are more susceptible to basement wall moisture. Brick, rock, and mortar used to seal them together are incredibly porous and allow moisture to intrude easily. Block walls, also called CMU walls, are especially susceptible to seepage. Concrete is porous, and moisture can travel through the block wall and into your basement.
Poured foundation walls are less susceptible to moisture than brick and stone walls but can develop wall cracks. No matter how small, these cracks are the perfect entry point for water.
Brick, stone, or poured concrete, a moisture barrier can help keep your basement dry.
In addition to keeping out moisture, installing a vapor barrier in your New Jersey basement brings many other benefits.
The Advantages of Basement Vapor Barriers
Moisture in your New Jersey basement is the catalyst to countless problems. By installing a moisture barrier, and encapsulating your basement, you are taking proactive steps to decrease the chances of:
- Mold, bacteria, and mildew
- Warped hardwood floors
- Cracked walls
- Structural damage
- Wood rot
- Rusted pipes and appliances
- Bug and pest infestations
- Musty, foul odors
- Poor indoor air quality
- Health issues for your family
- Radon gas build-up in your home
Vapor barriers are an effective part of any New Jersey basement waterproofing system. But how do you install a vapor barrier?
How to Install Vapor Barriers In Your Basement
Blue Umbrella's vapor barrier installation is efficient, seamless, and professional. The process follows three primary steps.
Prepare the Wall & Measure
The first thing we do is prepare the wall. We clean and dry the wall before attaching the vapor barrier. This allows for a secure and reliable installation. After preparation, we take exact measurements of the walls for the next step.
Cut the Vapor Barrier
Next, we unroll, measure, and cut the barrier material to fit the exact dimensions of your. basement wall. The fabric should cover the wall from the base to the top of the wall or 6-8 inches above the top of the exterior soil line.
Mount the Vapor Barrier to the Wall
Once the vapor barrier material has been measured and cut, it's time to mount it to your wall.
Blue Umbrella mounts foundation wall wraps with nylon fasteners and rivets. These fasteners are securely attached to both the barrier and the basement wall. They are available in white to match the vapor barrier aesthetically.
Seal the Vapor Barrier at the Top and Bottom
We then install a termination bar at the top of the wall. The bar adds a clean finish and is sealed shut with caulk to prevent moisture from leaking.
The bottom of the moisture barrier is secured behind a PolyDrain board. Any moisture that leaks through the wall is trapped by the barrier and routed through the board to the french drains for drain collection and discharge.
Blue Umbrella uses a PolyDrain drain board at the bottom of vapor barriers for maximum effectiveness. PolyDrain uses air-gap technology with ⅝ gap to increase water drainage and ensure proper moisture collection.
And there you have it! Blue Umbrella takes careful measures when installing vapor barriers and only uses the best materials. But are the materials really that important? Let's talk about it!
Is Vapor Barrier Type Important?
Absolutely. The quality level of your moisture barrier material certainly affects how much moisture it blocks out. This is why Blue Umbrella only installs 14-millimeter Flexi-Seal, which exceeds the standard requirement set by the American Standard for Testing and Materials, giving our customers the highest-quality barrier.
Flexi-Seal is an advanced-quality vapor barrier material. It excels at preventing moisture penetration, seals out ground vapors, and is made from heavy-duty reinforced material. Additionally, it is produced with an antimicrobial additive to reduce threats of mold growth in your basement.
Flexi-Seal is tough, durable, and tear-resistant. Its fiber-reinforced membrane is flexible to provide a continuous and permanent barrier along your basement walls.
To connect separate cut sections of vapor barrier across your basement walls, Blue Umbrella uses Richtech Flex-Seal heavy-duty tape. This reliable adhesive creates an effective seal between barrier sections.
Other benefits of using a Flexi-Seal barrier with Blue Umbrella include:
- Washable: Flexi-Seal is easy to clean. Dust, dirt, and smudges can easily be removed to retain its brilliant white appearance.
- Never peels or flakes: the durable material is built to withstand water leaks and visual degradation.
- Mechanically applied: we ensure a proper and trusted installation process to diminish errors.
- Custom-fit: no matter your basement or type of walls, each Flexi-Seal moisture barrier installed with Blue Umbrella is customized to fit your New Jersey basement structure.
Installing a Flexi-Seal vapor barrier helps fight basement moisture, but you will want complete basement waterproofing for complete moisture prevention in your New Jersey basement.
Vapor Barrier As Part of Basement Waterproofing
Basement waterproofing is a multi-step installation that removes moisture from your New Jersey basement. The two primary steps are collection and discharge. Vapor barrier installation and basement encapsulation plays a vital role in this first step: moisture collection.
The foundation wall wrap captures any moisture or water coming through your foundation wall, channeling it to a perimeter french drain. But this is only the first step.
Once this water is collected, the french drain transports water to a sump pump. The sump pump pushes the water up through a discharge line, and the water is expelled at least 15-20 feet away from your home.
To complete the waterproofing system, a basement dehumidifier is installed to keep the humidity low enough that mold can never grow in the space.
Just like you want top-notch vapor barrier material, you need top-notch waterproofing installation. You will want Blue Umbrella waterproofing for complete water and moisture protection.
Install Vapor Barrier Before Finishing Your Basement
If you plan on finishing your New Jersey basement, you need first to waterproof your basement and install a vapor barrier.
The vapor barrier acts as a separator between the concrete foundation of your home and any building materials of your finished basement - wood, insulation, sheetrock, trim. The barrier ensures that any moisture seeping through the concrete never comes in contact with your newly finished basement.
Without a vapor barrier, the raw materials of your finished crawl space come in direct contact with the concrete floor and foundation walls, which means they are directly exposed to entering moisture.
The moisture will lead to mold and rot in any organic material (drywall, sheetrock, wood, insulation) that comes in contact with it, resulting in a ruined finished basement.
We have had plenty of calls from New Jersey homeowners who have to tear out parts of their now mold-ridden finished basements to put in waterproofing that should have been done before finishing. Save time and expensive repairs by installing a vapor barrier before you finish your basement.
We are Your NJ Basement Vapor Barrier Experts
Blue Umbrella is New Jersey's trusted expert when it comes to protecting your basement from moisture. We have serviced thousands of satisfied customers across New Jersey and are here to serve you. We are your go-to experts for basement encapsulation and vapor barrier installation.
We offer free inspections and estimations to help you better understand how vapor barrier will keep your basement dry and your home safe. We look forward to working with you!
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