Moisture Barriers and Flooring
Concrete Moisture Problems
Static control floors should never be installed without first testing your concrete slab for possible moisture and alkalinity problems. Up front testing can prevent future problems and shutdowns due to failed flooring installations.
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Picture of curling tiles due to moisture problems in concrete (courtesy of Donnelly Inspections) |
Did you know that the number one cause of ESD flooring installation failures is moisture permeation through concrete slabs from below the sub-floor? Moisture vapor, inside concrete, becomes alkaline – adversely reacting with flooring adhesives and consequently compromising the bond you expect from adhesives. More importantly, this problem is almost always unexpected because it rarely involves ground water, heavy rains or the local water table – so there are no visual predictors. The problem isn’t solved by installing drains or water diverters around a building because it isn’t the result of weather. It is the result of evaporation of water from far below the surface and the worst problems are where you would expect them the least: desert and arid climates like California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Texas and Nevada. But the problem also haunts many other locations so it’s always a necessity to learn about moisture and how to test for it before it ruins your new anti static or conductive flooring installation.
And, if you’re a flooring professional – you’re expected to know about moisture problems because your client certainly doesn’t know about it…..
This page contains some information and helpful links to help you get up to speed on this problem.
Helpful links to learn more about hydrostatic pressure, osmotic blisters, vapor emissions and moisture vapor problems installing Resilient and Epoxy Flooring:
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ASTM F1869 Moisture Test Kit |
Here’s ASTM’s own description of a resilient floor:
Resilient Flooring — It would be helpful to start with the definition of this category of flooring products, because this term is becoming more commonly used. According to F 141, resilient flooring is an organic floor surfacing material made in sheet or tile form or formed in place as a seamless material of which the wearing surface is non-textile. The resilient floor covering classification by common usage includes, but is not limited to asphalt, cork, linoleum, rubber, vinyl, vinyl composition and polymeric poured seamless floors. Resilient in this sense is used as a commonly accepted term, but does not necessarily define a physical property.
Pertinent Articles
| Moisture ESD Flooring Studies | Get It! |
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A GUIDE TO FLOOR MOISTURE PROBLEMS |
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Calcium Chloride v. In-situ Relative Humidity http://www.moisturetesting.com/ |
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An informative article by Peter Craig and George Donnelly about the hazards of improper ASTM concrete moisture/vapor testing and the pitfalls of relying on just one type of ASTM test method. Moisture Testing of Concrete Slabs – When 3 pounds is not 3 pounds: 5 Reasons why moisture testing of concrete fails to reveal a moisture problem
Read their article at this link |
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Vapor barriers: nuisance or necessity? |
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American Moisture Test Kit - Instruction Guide |
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The following standards can be found at www.ASTM.org ASTM F2170-03 |
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ASTM F1869 - 04 Standard Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride |
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Historical Standard ASTM E1907 – 04 Standard Guide to Methods of Evaluating Moisture Conditions of Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Floor Coverings Link to purchase ASTM E 1907 – 04 This guide includes both quantitative and qualitative procedures used to determine the amount of water or water vapor present in or emitting from concrete slabs and criteria for evaluating the moisture-related acceptability of concrete slabs to receive resilient floor coverings and related adhesives. |
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ASTM D4263 - 83(2005) Standard Test Method for Indicating Moisture in Concrete by the Plastic Sheet Method Link to purchase ASTM Standard D4263-83(2005) |
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Why are We Still Having Problems with Moisture? Good practices and excellent products are only the beginning to the solution By Howard Kanare Water is an essential ingredient in concrete, but uncontrolled excessive moisture can create a whole host of problems with concrete floor slabs. Some of the modes of distress include:
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