We are building a new homein western Washington state with a partial basement. I have watched the videos on slab insulation, waterproofing foundations, and capillary breaks. The first question is when making a capillary break between the footing and the basement wall using polyethelene, am I not impeding the concrete to concrete bond between the two? Also, if a capillary break is needed between the footing and poured slab, what is the best way?

There is no need for and there never really is a concrete-to-concrete bond between the concrete slab and footer and block or concrete walls.

Once the basement slab is poured, it shrinks, and no bond is maintained anyway. Nor is one required.

In fact, some basement slab techniques place rigid foam under the slab, over the footer and up the sides of the wall in addition to the polyethylene sheeting.

No bond is maintained at all between the masonry structures in such cases.

So, yes, a polyethylene sheet spread under the slab and up over the footer will cause a capillary break, and break the bond between the concrete, but this is what is desired and no concrete bond is necessary.

Although building code does not require the polyethylene sheet to extend up from below the slab up the basement walls to a point above grade, the Code recommends it.

Here is a helpful link that if you read it in detail and apply the principals, will give you a dry and warm basement:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK7051.html

Thank you for your response. The "no bond anyway" phrase brought it all together. I had called the tech lines of a couple of the poly product manufacturers and they to lacked that understanding.
Mitch