Concrete is hard and strong, making it a good foundation material for the majority of kinds of installations. Given its repute, it can surprise you to hear that concrete is in fact porous. Given sufficient time, water from under slabs or walkways makes its way through the concrete to the surface, where the water then evaporates. During its travels, the water picks up salts dissolved from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water evaporates on the surface of the concrete. This unsightly substance is named efflorescence.
If you see cracks or joints in your floor that don’t dry completely, this points to a significant cache of moisture under your concrete. Some people attempt to cover the issue with ceramic tile or DIY epoxy. Without a proper sealant, however, the water finds its way through, resulting in loose tiles or coatings that bubble and peel away. Then the problem is worse and more expensive to fix.
What to Do About Groundwater
Depending on severity, you may need to repair the water problem before proceeding (sealing the slab may not prevent challenges in the walls or other areas). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should stop water from accumulating. Nevada Custom Coatings adds a water barrier to our epoxy sealer that prevents peeling from water vapor. After this treatment is complete, the concrete foundation is indeed waterproof on top. Following this, you can safely overlay it with tile, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant ensures your floor surface won’t be vulnerable to moisture again.
With epoxy sealers, the age of the concrete usually does not matter, if it is reliable. Epoxy coatings dry rapidly, limiting delays, but it cannot be applied to new concrete until the material is fully set. To discover more about water remediation for concrete floors, reach out to Nevada Custom Coatings for assistance in Incline Village.