CONCRETE SLAB MOISTURE MITIGATION SOLUTIONS

Inestimable time and money are spent each year dealing with moisture issues related to concrete floors. Industry experts agree that it would be measured in the tens of millions of dollars. Architects, contractors and owners all have suffered tremendous losses when moisture works its way to the top of a slab where it can wreak havoc on floor coverings and floor coatings. Most manufacturers of these products protect their interests by using the industry standard of 3 lb Moisture Transmission Rate as the warranty threshold. The accepted and quantifying test method is the calcium chloride test described by ASTM F 1869.

The problem is that a 3 lb reading or less cannot guarantee a problem free slab because the calcium chloride test provides only a “snapshot in time”. The test reads only the top half inch of the surface which in most cases is the driest section of the slab. The real problems reside much deeper. How to detect and apply a coating or covering to a high risk floor?

The testing process gaining popularity is the probe type with Rapid RH by Wagner Electronics being the recognized leader. The process takes about 5 minutes to set up and the readings are nearly instantaneous and within 3% accuracy. Because the probe detects the relative humidity of the slab well below the surface the Rapid RH provides more accurate information about the viability of the proposed coating or covering. For more information about how the Rapid RH works go to Rapid RH Online Resource Liabary.

One Day Floors systems continue to excel even when the Relative Humidity readings are 98% and calcium chloride testing reveals a Vapor Transmission Rate of 13 lbs. The ODF coating remains optically clear with no fogging or delamination and of course exhibits its renowned industrial grade abrasion resistance.

Now you can have beautiful concrete floors no matter what the moisture levels.