floor moisture tests

[onewrench]

I'm looking at a house with a detached garage. No idea as to the slab prep, so no idea if a vapor barrier has been placed during the original construction. I'd like some input on the calcium chloride moisture test. Would this be an acceptable test or are there other tests that would be more conclusive? If there is a moisture issue, is the solution to grind the floor to open pores and install a sealer.

What are the newer generation of topically applied sealers that are available, I'm in the dark on this.

 

[SunsetsAndFriends]

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[Garage Flooring]

I'm looking at a house with a detached garage. No idea as to the slab prep, so no idea if a vapor barrier has been placed during the original construction. I'd like some input on the calcium chloride moisture test. Would this be an acceptable test or are there other tests that would be more conclusive? If there is a moisture issue, is the solution to grind the floor to open pores and install a sealer.

What are the newer generation of topically applied sealers that are available, I'm in the dark on this.

I think you are asking a different question than what was answered above. There are two types of tests people will perform. One to see if the floor has been previously sealed. That was described by the previous poster. The second is to see if you have moisture coming through he floor. Yes a calcium chloride test is the way to go. We don't sell them but I have sent customers here: http://americanmoisturetest.com/ind...oisture-testing/amt-moisture-test-kit-64.html

 

[onewrench]

DoItMyselfToo

Thanks for the reply, I know how to test for a slab previous seal, but a refresher on the technique is appreciated!

Justin

Thanks for the link, I was looking for moisture penetration thru the slab from subgrade surfaces. From what I've read here if there is no surface sealer or if I need to prep the slab, grinding will be required. What about the area that cannot be accessed, eg where the sill plate sets on the slab. Will moisture migrate under a finish (epoxy or otherwise) coating and lift it up? What I'm referring to here is the finish floor surface ends at the wall face but the concrete is not treated under the sill plates allowing moisture migration to lift up the edges.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi,
Testing with the clear plastic or calcium chloride tests is a good idea. The issue though is that the tests are just a 'snapshot' of the conditions on the day of the test so if you test with it's been fairly dry you can get a false negative and vice versa if you test after a lot of rain.

Our recommendation would be to do the plastic test after standard weather. If no staining or condensation you should be good to go. If you need a moisture barrier primer then the floor should be progressively grinded or shot blasted first.

Alternately you can use a penetrating sealer like the Ghostshield which can't fail due to moisture.

 

[onewrench]

Armorpoxy

Thanks for the suggestion on Ghostshield. My thoughts where to do multiple plastic sheet tests in dry weather, raining conditions and high humidity prior to a calcium chloride test. In addition to the shop floor, I have a very mold smelling basement, which I want to seal both the floor and walls. Does the Ghostshield work on vertical surface CMU?

 

[Armorpoxy]

Check with Ghostfhield website or Justin at Garage Flooring as they carry it. Not sure that a penetrating sealer will do anything to hold back moisture and mold for that you would need to use a moisture barrier epoxy which we carry. If the surface is porous then the moisture will flow through it. Ghostshield is a porous sealer to our knowledge.

Email us directly and we can send you tech data sheets on the moisture barrier coatings we carry.

We are also a Master Distributor for Spartacote Industrial coatings. They make the only tintable moisture barrier coating so you can get a two-fer by using this on a floor. You prep the floor, apply this coating as a solid color or fleck onto it, and then a coat of polyaspartic topcoat pigmented or clear depending on the look you want. This is an industrial product we use a lot in firehouses and machine rooms. If this interests you kindly contact us directly as we don't monitor GJ all of the time.

Thank you.