Drying out your property after flooding or other water-related disasters is essential. Humidity and water can cause more damage, mold, or health problems. All items must be dried correctly: walls ceilings, furniture, and hardwood flooring. Concrete floors also need to be dried. Concrete floor water damage repair is a complex task.
Concrete floors can be assumed to have dried when inexperienced contractors dry walls and contents. Then, people restore the room and install new flooring. They soon find problems with their new flooring and declare it defective. Most likely, the concrete wasn’t completely dry when they laid down the flooring.
This is a common mistake made by contractors and can cause problems for customers by failing to remove excessive moisture from concrete.
Problem with water-based adhesives
Concrete floor water damage can lead to problems such as water-based adhesives not properly curing. This has made water-based adhesives more popular and is a greater problem when it comes to restoration.
Water-based adhesives absorb moisture from concrete because it evaporates. The adhesive will not stick to the floor as well if it absorbs more moisture. The adhesive will become soft and move if it fails to stick. This is indicated by bubbles and blisters in certain flooring materials.
The adhesive can ooze out of joints and seams after tile is applied. Although people may think the flooring material is defective or faulty, the problem is that concrete has not dried properly. Water-based adhesives can only be used in the right conditions.
How professionals dry concrete floors that have been water damaged
A professional restoration company is required to dry concrete after water damage. Only professionals can dry concrete properly before you can install floor coverings.
These are the key tools and techniques professionals use:
- Concrete moisture containment chambers aid in the evaporation. These can be either bubbles or boxes of plastic that are taped to the floor. You can quickly reach the desired humidity level by trapping moisture in small spaces.
- Non-evasive meters and thermo-hygrometers can be used to determine concrete’s humidity. Concrete is water-loving so the right humidity should be between 60 and 70 degrees. A reading of less than 72% will allow you to install tile or carpet flooring. A reading below 70% is acceptable for wood floors. A professional water damage restoration company can help if your floor needs to be dried further.
- These devices lower the temperature of the moistened space. This helps the dehumidifier extract more moisture.
- Air movement can also be used to dry. Drying is also made easier by removing the concrete’s boundary layer.
