Moisture Content Of Concrete For Laminate Flooring

Concrete slabs and floors can be excellent subfloor surfaces for tile and other floor coverings but too much moisture in the concrete can cause problems with flooring installations.

Moisture content of concrete for laminate flooring.

Astm f2170 in situ rh testing will give you the most reliable information to help you manage your flooring project successfully. Hi we seem to have a moisture problem with our laminate floor it is laid on a concrete base the base was screed to level the floor and it has been down for about four or five years with no problems but recently we have noticed areas of water appearing on the floor overnight we have a de humifier that collects quite a drop of water. Installing laminate flooring on concrete steps. Because concrete is permeable ground moisture can slowly move upward in the form of vapor and adversely affect anything that rests on top of the concrete.

Concrete moisture levels can affect flooring. Failure to skip laminate subfloor moisture testing often results in laminate floor failures. Always install basement carpet on top of a vapor impervious subfloor this will raise the temperature of the floor in winter make your carpet more pleasant to walk on and most importantly prevent humid air from cozying up to the concrete and triggering mold growth. Moisture can be a problem when a floor that looks dry really isn t.

There are two types of moisture meters for wood subfloors. Before installation the moisture content of the subfloor should be within 4 percentage points of the new flooring fig. Padding can be used with most floating laminate floor installation. If given ample space warmth and ventilation water vapor will simply.

Moisture meters can be used to check subfloors for water damage moisture content of wood subfloors prior to installing any flooring and if the hardwood is at the correct level for the subfloor. Adding a layer of laminate padding on top of the moisture barrier will make a noticeable difference in how comfortable the floor is to walk on. From the 1940s to today many contractors have relied on surface based methods for monitoring or evaluating relative humidity levels and moisture content. Given the realities of moisture in concrete and the necessity of measuring the moisture condition of the concrete slab accurately only one clear conclusion exists.

The laminate floor padding cost is 0 12 to 0 15 12 to 15 cents per square foot. To avoid these failures from occurring a variety of test methods are used to determine the amount of moisture in concrete before installing flooring. Moisture meters can be used by all flooring trades not just the hardwood installers. If the moisture content between the new flooring and subflooring varies more than 4 percentage points or 2 for boards wider than 2 1 2 the flooring should not be installed.

Laminate subfloor moisture testing often overlooked yet most critical when installing laminate flooring.