Don't cheap out on moisture barrier like I did

Ngl, I tried to save $40 by using regular plastic sheeting for the vapor barrier behind my shower wall. After 3 months in my Reno bathroom remodel, I noticed mold creeping through the grout lines. Learned the hard way that you gotta use proper 6-mil poly sheeting or you'll be tearing it all out again. Anyone else make this mistake or am I the only one?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_davis10d ago

Read somewhere that the local building code guys actually have a specific type of vapor barrier they want you to use for showers. Guess they see this a lot.

johnson.river9d ago

Yeah, code guys love their specific vapor barriers.

alice92810d ago

I actually don't totally agree with that take. My brother's a contractor and he says code is more about the shower pan liner and waterproofing the floor, not the wall vapor barrier. Pretty sure standard 6-mil poly is fine as long as you install it correctly with the overlaps and seal it around the fixtures. What really matters more in my experience is the cement board and the Redgard or similar coating on top, that's where moisture gets trapped if you cheap out.