Moisture/No vapor barrier options?

[ataris352]

So I dove headfirst into a garage flooring project (small 1 car garage, 180 square feet) with my house that was built in 1948. Did some light research, went with a polyurea flooring from Garage Flooring LLC.

Was set to do one last wash of the garage until last night when I realized I have some moisture coming from a side door to the garage. Side door is flush with the outside wall of the garage (set back from inside wall by a few inches), and concrete goes the few inches from the inside of the wall to the threshold of the door. This is the only area of the garage where there is moisture/efflorescence. The area only measures the width of a door (3') by a few inches. My thought is that the side door was added after the fact, and a water vapor barrier was added to the original floor but not to where the other concrete was added from the inside of the wall to the threshold. The small concrete step up on the outside of the door is damp. Lots of rain in south Florida last few days.

I already have a wife that is not happy I've started this project (going on a couple weeks now), and unless I want to end up a single man, jackhammering/removing the old concrete and adding a vapor barrier is not an option.

What are my other options? Can I add something to the top of the concrete to prevent moisture, while still being able to install my polyurea flooring? It's not a very big area, but ideally would want the flooring to go to the door so there isn't a gap.

Thank you all for helping this newbie!

 

[Garage Flooring]

So I dove headfirst into a garage flooring project (small 1 car garage, 180 square feet) with my house that was built in 1948. Did some light research, went with a polyurea flooring from Garage Flooring LLC.

Was set to do one last wash of the garage until last night when I realized I have some moisture coming from a side door to the garage. Side door is flush with the outside wall of the garage (set back from inside wall by a few inches), and concrete goes the few inches from the inside of the wall to the threshold of the door. This is the only area of the garage where there is moisture/efflorescence. The area only measures the width of a door (3') by a few inches. My thought is that the side door was added after the fact, and a water vapor barrier was added to the original floor but not to where the other concrete was added from the inside of the wall to the threshold. The small concrete step up on the outside of the door is damp. Lots of rain in south Florida last few days.

I already have a wife that is not happy I've started this project (going on a couple weeks now), and unless I want to end up a single man, jackhammering/removing the old concrete and adding a vapor barrier is not an option.

What are my other options? Can I add something to the top of the concrete to prevent moisture, while still being able to install my polyurea flooring? It's not a very big area, but ideally would want the flooring to go to the door so there isn't a gap.

Thank you all for helping this newbie!

One thing we do with every order is get customers my cell and email. When we get busy I am not always able to hop on the forum but I return my calls and texts.

Moisture coming in at a door is different than moisture coming up through the slab. If it is coming in through the door you simply need to repair the door/threshold.

If you have moisture coming through the slab, or if you suspect moisture coming through the slab, you would want to let it dry and then test it and use a liquid-vapor barrier.

If this were my project the first thing I would do is replace the weather stripping on the door and seal the junction between the threshold and concrete at the outside.

 

[ataris352]

Thanks, great info.

Is it possible that the moisture is coming from the adjacent outside concrete step, and seeping into my garage under the threshold?

Will polyurea adhere to a liquid-vapor barrier?

If the moisture is coming from under the slab, will the moisture go "around" the liquid-vapor barrier if I don't install it on the entire floor?

 

[Garage Flooring]

Thanks, great info.

Is it possible that the moisture is coming from the adjacent outside concrete step, and seeping into my garage under the threshold?

Will polyurea adhere to a liquid-vapor barrier?

If the moisture is coming from under the slab, will the moisture go "around" the liquid-vapor barrier if I don't install it on the entire floor?

If moisture is coming from under the slab and you cannot mitigate the cause, a liquid-vapor barrier designed to be coated must be used. We have a product but there are many on the market designed to be used under a coating system

if its coming in at the door, may be a much easier, quicker solution