I should add that the home would be well ventilated and proper drainage grading/digging/whatever would be done to minimize both issues but I'd like to know whether animals can/do rip up thick (~45 mil) plastic liner.

DONT WORRY RALPHIE I'MMA COMIN

Let me try this again:

Would the actions of a mole penetrating a subterranian plastic barrier implicate the existence of a supernatural deity who seeks to influece the actions/fates of human actors?

If you have rats near there, then yes, they will literally chew through anything.

>>855185
What could I do to the surrounding soil that could prevent attracting them? There would be closed cell foam insulation just behind the barrier and then concrete behind that...

I suppose it depends on where you live but at least around here you would have fucked up ridiculous condensation/humidity issues if you enclosed your house in a vapor barrier.

It is usually easier to ward vermin off than research this subject

>>855205
What? Thats how houses are built now. You use a heat exchanging ventilator to ventilate a sealed space.

>>855192
Depends on the climate and the terrain.
If you live in a cold climate, they will come for warmth and possibly food.

The usual ways to deter rats always apply:
1. Deny access to food
2. Deny access to water
3. Insulate but take care that no moisture builds up between the layers either

1. is easy, just get proper sturdy waste bins and see to it they are emptied regularly, wash once in a while to keep the delicious odors down.

If you want a compost, get or build one that is impossible for rats to get into, meaning small but numerous air holes.

Protecting water is also easy if the plumbing is made by a proper professional.

Keeping them from your sewage is also usually easy if you live in an area with modern municipal sewers.
If you live further away, you need to see to it that whatever sewage system you get is designed in a way that does take vermin into account.
If the municipal sewers are bad, there needs to be a properly designed connection, usually with a metal grate, that is easily inspected for blockage and protected from low temperatures.

Ow, gods, fuck, my fingers!