Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Carpet on concrete

Hi, I've read a few articles on this forum dealing with this subject, but most were a few years old and there were several varying opinions so I just wanted to see what the concensus was today. I am finishing my basement and am planning on laying down carpet on the concrete (with padding below of course). There are no visible signs of any moisture in my basement. So my question is will applying some type of paint-on water barrier on the concrete be sufficient to deal with any moisture problems (i.e. moisture accumulating under the carpet)? I've read post that recommended laying down plastic sheets too, but considering I've never seen a drop of water in my basement I felt this might be overkill. I know that even without visible water spots there may still be small amounts of water vapor seeping through the concrete, so would a paint on sealant alone be enough for this situation? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Id skip the pad! It is to hard to dry out if it does get wet.

That sort of depends on the area you live in. In Colorado, with an average humidity of six to eight percent, moisture in a concrete slab was never an issue unless there were real problems, especially for a carpet and pad install. I've heard of other areas where it's a big deal and they have to go to great lengths to deal with it. I believe there are paint on products designed to seal the concrete, but have never had to use them for carpet installs.

If your concrete floors are dry, a carpet without an airtight backing will allow air circulation and the concrete to "breathe". That will keep mold, mildew, etc from forming.

"There are no visible signs of any moisture in my basement." A moisture test will determine what is the best way to go if wanting carpet in the basement. As indicated, each circumstance is different. Many posts on this forum tend to report moisture problems with carpet in basements, but there are those who have never had a problem. It depends on location and circumstances of the structure and the basement.