Why Floors Fail

It All Starts Here

Concrete slab moisture

In the event of a high water-to-cement ratio concrete mix, and poor curing practices, the concrete slab can become overly porous. As a result, the "capillaries" within the concrete can remain connected, increasing the permeability of the concrete slab, and consequently increasing the likelihood of moisture movement up through the slab.

And in the event of a highly permeable concrete slab, in contact with moisture under the slab, this condition allows water to migrate into the concrete. In the absence of an intact vapor barrier/retarder, and a suitable capillary break beneath the concrete slab, natural sources of moisture, like naturally occuring ground water, capillary rise or osmotic pressure, can become a problem. Artificial sources of moisture like irrigation problems, incorrect exterior grading or breached plumbing can also become a problem.

When Things Go Wrong

Moisture-related floor covering failure

Once moisture is in contact with and migrates into a concrete slab substrate, it is typically in a static liquid form. When the building climate control system is activated, the static moisture can become dynamic and move out of the slab in the form of a vapor. And as moisture vapor passes through a concrete slab, it can collect and condense (it turns from a gas to a liquid) beneath a floor covering at the adhesive bond line. This relatively inert moisture can compel soluble salts (efflorescence, alkaline salts and/or other contaminants from the ground or the concrete itself) to also move to the surface and collect at the adhesive bond line, raising the alkalinity to damaging levels. This condition ultimately causes adhesive re-emulsification and bond-failure problems due to excessive alkalinity and/or other soluble salts.

Moisture related floor covering failures mean
costly repairs and unforeseen liabilities