Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Preventing Moisture-Related Flooring Issues

Concrete slabs are the most common flooring base used in a range of buildings, including schools. Unfortunately, excessive moisture found in concrete slabs prior to a flooring installation can cause significant floor-covering system failures such as debonding of coatings, microbial growth and flooring expansion.

There are several steps that can be taken to mitigate and potentially prevent moisture issues before a floor covering is installed. These apply to either new or remodel projects.

The first step is to conduct moisture testing. Substrate surfaces must be tested for moisture emission prior to starting the installation. Most manufacturers and flooring installation contractors recommend relative humidity probe moisture testing, as the results of this type of test are typically more accurate, reliable and consistent than other testing methods.

If moisture emission is discovered then proper precautions, such as the use of several topical applications prior to the flooring installation, can be used for moisture mitigation. Some of these topical applications include using reactive penetrants and moisture-retarding coatings.

Finally, consider selecting a floor covering that has a higher tolerance for moisture and can perform on concrete slabs with elevated relative humidity levels. Some flooring options, such as textile composite flooring, perform in areas with elevated moisture. The breathable nature of these flooring products allows moisture to pass through the backing rather than trap it underneath. This method of vapor transmission enables the flooring to be installed with no moisture mitigation as long as the relative humidity test reads 95 percent or below.

Taking these steps prior to installation can save money and mitigate potential flooring system failures.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

David Daughtrey is the director of business development for education with J+J Flooring Group.

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.