What are vapour retarders or barriers?
Vapour retarders or barriers are plastic sheetings (mostly polyethylene, also called PE sheeting), which is intended to prevent moisture from penetrating through the underfloor into the laminate flooring. They only have to be laid on mineral underfloors, for example screed, concrete or asphalt, as under certain climatic conditions water vapour can collect in the floor area as condensate and can cause structural damage. The vapour barrier is laid “trough-like”, i.e. a few centimetres up the walls. The sheets are laid next to each other with around 20 centimetre overlap and are fixed with adhesive tape (see laying instructions).
