Hello, On my house build I was trying to explain to my foreman about a vapor barrier for the floor slab (blank stare). Does anyone know where to get rolls of plastic (polyethylene) sheeting, preferably 6 mil? Thanks, Shawn
a couple of weeks ago, matio had some heavy visqueen (6 mil or better) in the garden section. i bought some several months back and it was in a tube form for aircon applications and only about 2m wide if cut open and laid out flat. now i see they have some wider stuff but i don't know if it opens into a tube or a flat sheet. nijosa also has what looks like greenhouse sheeting behind the dresses (tee hee). you'd have to glue joints for a vapor barrier, maybe with rugby contact cement ? since i'm planning on hitting both stores tomorrow, i kin check closer and report it to the where to find list. norm : ))~
out of interest are you building on a slab as in a foreign country or laying a slab beside the hollow blocks?
Brian...the slab will be inside the block as normal in the PI, I will have a joint between the reinforced slab and the block though (joint sealant will be something I will have to find locally or bring with me). From the beam to just below grade will be 6 inch block, tie beam and then switch to 4" block for the interior and exterior walls. Shawn
That’s where the termites come in right next to the hollow blocks, that happened to a house of mine in Bacolod, took out the skirting boards in one room, and almost took out the handrails on the internal stairs, that was in the first eight months after completion, I would suggest using a lot lime before the slab is poured, the idiots that built my house just dug away the termite mounds without poisoning. They were trapped under the house as the perimeter was in a fashion poisoned.
You bring up an interesting point Brian about the termites. Our lot was a rice paddy, so once we finish the perimeter fence/wall I need to backfill/compact about a meter to get to final grade. I doubt there is much in the way of termites at the moment, but the soil we bring in could introduce them. I know there are suppose to be sprays that can be applied to the block but did not know about lime as a preventative. Thanks, Shawn
Best advice to be found is right here. I would not trust, hire or listen to any of the local "termite control experts". Mapecon included.
A neighbor in Bacolod who was just 15 mtrs away from me had a house full of pine, railings cupboards etc, he had been there about 12 years, he said he put heaps of lime under the slab, as the area is and was sugarcane fields, and it worked fine for him, the house next door to me was destroyed by termites, at just 1.5 years after construction (same builder), as I said earlier my house was attacked at just 8 months, the builder did sprinkle poison around after construction, I paid for 2 x treatments , in-between the first and second treatments the termites still attacked, I put lime where they entered the house before the damage was repaired. Good idea to use treated timber that might be in the roof or out of sight.
Brian, I've done some Google searches and am not coming up with much on how the lime should be applied under the slab, can you tell me what you did/recommend? Thanks, Shawn
