Epoxy Floor Moisture Test

Testing moisture in concrete.

Epoxy floor moisture test.

Sweep vacuum and dry the concrete floor with a shop vacuum to ensure it is emitting as little moisture as possible. One way to eliminate epoxy floor coating failure is to test it before you coat it. Ft then additional kits for every 2 000 3 000 sq. Are placed on various areas of your floor as a single test on a large area cannot accurately determine moisture levels.

Include a plastic sheet test which really is as simple as it sounds in your timeline so that you know the slab is truly cured and ready for the. It is necessary to test your concrete for moisture before applying any coat of paint or epoxy on it. For those slabs with a pre existing floor covering an extra step is involved to test for moisture. This is a low cost low tech moisture test that can be useful for determining if you have moisture in a garage or basement floor.

It is not however the best test if you are planning to put an epoxy coating on the floor. Follow the steps outlined below to perform a moisture test prior to an epoxy floor installation. Only then can you test properly for moisture using the following test methods. Plastic sheet moisture test.

If there are any mortars grouts or adhesives they must be removed and ground down to expose a clean section of concrete. The floor covering must be removed. Clean and dry the concrete floor. Moisture testing per astm f 1869 calcium chloride test before installation of floor coverings on concrete substrates it is wise to test the rate of moisture vapor transmission mvt.

Flooring manufacturers rate their products based on the moisture levels they can tolerate and testing your slab can tell you if a particular flooring material is likely to perform adequately. Additionally moisture under the concrete slab causes pressure that forces the epoxy to separate from the concrete s surface often taking pieces of concrete with it. One test kit is normally used for the 1st 1 000 sq. Excess alkalinity will eat epoxy coating causing it to bubble and split.

Avoid the problem by doing a simple moisture test to determine if the floor is right for an epoxy coating. Concrete is thick solid and hard. Planning ahead and installing a 10 mil reinforced moisture vapor barrier film before the slab is poured is a great first step toward avoiding eventual moisture issues in your epoxy flooring. You need to do an mvt or moisture vapor transmission test on your floor s surface prior to applying either epoxy or paint on it.