If the testing indicates a wet slab document the results and delay installation of the flooring until corrected.
Flooring installation delayed for slab to dry.
For best results several areas of each room should be tested for excess moisture.
When conducting slab moisture testing conduct tests in several areas regardless of the age of the slab.
Laminate flooring is a good alternative to wood flooring in basements.
However many homeowners are disappointed to discover that solid wood flooring cannot be installed on a concrete slab.
More time was needed for the concrete to dry.
People then proceed to restore their room and add new flooring.
The concrete slab needs to be dry before any flooring can be installed.
Determine how much flooring and materials will be needed.
Remove any carpet or other flooring.
Supplied with accurate knowledge of a slab s rh condition the general contractor and flooring installer will know whether to allow for more drying time to reach adhesive flooring specifications or to choose a different flooring adhesive flooring product which is compatible with the slab s current conditions.
The use of an electronic concrete moisture meter to determine slab moisture emission is not reliable nor recommended.
Many types of flooring can be installed over a concrete sub floor.
Laminate flooring is also fairly easy to install.
The results indicated the floor was too wet to safely install flooring.
If you have a vinyl floor you may be able to install your flooring directly on top of it.
Therefore it s important to allow concrete to dry out before you install flooring on a newly poured slab.
Add about 10 to that number to account for any possible mistakes and warped boards.
If it s left uncovered water vapor can rise through the slab and evaporate away at the surface.
Prior to installing the flooring we did our due diligence by performing a relative humidity rh test on the concrete which involved inserting an rh probe to a depth of 40 in the slab.
Dry slab concrete slabs whether new or existing must be dry before the subfloor is installed.
Typical ceramic tiles are a common sight in many homes but some homeowners choose to install parquet flooring as an alternative.
For a standard four inch thick concrete slab this takes four to five months to happen naturally.
If tests indicate too much moisture is in the slab do not install hardwood floors.
The slab can be tested to check the moisture levels and determine whether there is too much moisture to install the subfloor.
A new moist slab should be allowed to dry naturally or the process can be hastened.
Too much humidity is most likely to be a problem for a newly installed slab but it could also be an issue for existing slabs too.
When inexperienced contractors dry the walls and contents concrete floors are often assumed to be dried.
Multiply length times width of the room.
