Concrete – How to pour concrete over existing slab

concreteslab

How to pour concrete over existing concrete slab if existing wood framed wall structure is there? And where to place the new vapor barrier?(I have an existing garage that I would like to convert into an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The slab is on the ground, so I would like to pour over new concrete to provide the appropriate height difference between ground and top of slab.)

Best Answer

To address the vapor barrier aspect:

With some materials you have to be careful about sandwiching them between two vapor barriers which can trap moisture - but concrete is not one of them. Adding a vapor barrier before new concrete is a good precaution if you're unsure if one exists already.

Closed-cell foam insulation can itself act as a vapor barrier (I recommend taping the seams and / or using spray foam to seal it all up).

So whether you use plastic sheeting (polyethylene I believe) or insulation, you can lay it on the existing concrete and then pour over that.