Concrete is solid and enduring, making it a top-notch floor material for the majority of kinds of structures. Given its repute, it might stun you to learn that concrete is in truth porous. Given enough 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 transports salts dissolved from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water dries on the surface of the concrete. This unseemly product is called efflorescence.
If you see cracks or joints in your floor that don’t completely dry, this points to a significant cache of moisture beneath your concrete. Some people try to conceal the issue with tiles or low-quality epoxy. Without a good sealant, however, the water finds a way through, resulting in loose tiles or coatings that bubble and peel away. Then the problem becomes worse and more expensive to resolve.
What to Do About Groundwater
Depending on the severity, you may need to fix the water issue ahead of proceeding (sealing the floor may not prevent issues in the walls or other spots). If the situation is localized to the concrete, a cleanup and epoxy sealing should prevent water from accumulating. Nevada Custom Coatings adds a liquid barrier to our epoxy sealer that stops bubbling from water vapor. After this procedure is complete, the concrete foundation is indeed waterproof on top at which time you can then confidently overlay it with tiles, 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 typically does not matter, if it is stable. Epoxy coatings dry quickly, minimizing delays, but it cannot be applied to brand new concrete until the material is fully set. To discover more about moisture remediation for concrete floors, talk to Nevada Custom Coatings for help in Sparks.