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Flooring Information and News on all types of Flooring

Flooring over Concrete: BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU HEAR AND READ

Flooring Over Concrete: Exposing the Moisture and Alkalinity Trap

Concrete moisture-related flooring installation failures cost the flooring industry hundreds of millions of dollars yearly. This is an epidemic we deal with daily, yet the underlying science of the failure is often ignored, leading to massive financial losses for contractors and clients alike.

When tackling the challenge of installing flooring over a concrete slab, many in the industry are driven to develop adhesive products that promise to prevent these catastrophic moisture-related failures. Recently, many adhesives have been introduced and touted as “moisture resistant,” claiming they prevent compromise and are “good up to 90% relative humidity and Moisture Vapor Emission Rates (MVER) up to 10 pounds.”

But let’s look at the science.

1. Adhesives Are NOT Moisture Suppression Products

The core misconception is believing an adhesive can stop moisture.

The only true moisture suppression materials are non-permeable moisture barriers placed directly beneath a concrete slab (during construction). Once the slab is poured, post-treatment options are limited to specialized products applied after the slab has been properly prepared (bead blasted or ground) or a few topically applied specialty suppression products.

Crucially, none of these true suppression products are adhesives.

Any non-permeable flooring material (like vinyl, rubber, or certain carpets) applied directly to a slab effectively becomes a moisture barrier itself, trapping moisture below the finished floor.

2. The Real Threat: Alkalinity

Adhesives are inherently susceptible to compromise from moisture and the alkalinity that moisture brings with it.

What some manufacturers want you to believe is that a new science has been developed to make adhesive products genuinely moisture-resistant. This is dangerous because moisture vapor emission can turn adhesive into mush or dust under a flooring material.

If a concrete slab has a Relative Humidity (RH) of 90% and an MVER over 5, the likelihood of having an installation failure is extremely high.

The Small Print Invokes the Science:

What you may not be hearing—and what is often found in the small print—is that the alkalinity which destroys most adhesives should not exceed 9 or 10 pH. If you have an RH of 90%, the alkalinity levels are definitely going to exceed that 9 or 10 pH threshold.

You’ll be lured into a false sense of security, and if a failure occurs, that small print will be invoked, leaving you responsible for the catastrophic loss.

Remember what I’ve said many times: “Words don’t change science – ever.”

3. The True Paradigm Shift in Installation

Preventing moisture-related flooring installation problems is a highly lucrative business, and many companies want to jump on the bandwagon. However, there are, in fact, true installation systems that actually do prevent flooring installation compromise from moisture and alkalinity in a substrate.

These successful systems:

  • Do not employ traditional adhesives or adhesive systems.

  • Are a complete paradigm shift from what the industry has traditionally relied on.

  • Don’t try to place a bandage on a hemorrhage—they solve the root problem.

  • Have never failed in the field.

Proven Systems That Work:

  1. EnviroSTIX: An installation system that is applied directly to the back of hard-backed flooring materials before installation, rendering the installation unaffected by substrate moisture and alkalinity.

  2. Free Lay (Poly Acrylic System): An applied poly acrylic system that works with a Kanga Trac cushion and can be applied to many carpet products (also marketed as Contact Release from Bentley Prince Street, Inc.).

  3. Velcro Systems: Specialized systems available from Velcro, with more coming, that are also completely unaffected by moisture and alkalinity.

These unique systems, developed by specialized companies and individuals, address a host of installation issues, not just moisture. While you may be skeptical, we’ve been working with all of these systems to solve problems, and their success is undeniable.

Need to Avoid Catastrophic Losses?

Don’t head down the slippery slope of relying on “moisture-resistant” adhesives. If you need help avoiding catastrophic losses due to moisture and alkalinity failure, call us.

For more information and to discuss your specific installation challenges, visit www.LGMandAssociates.com.