Even when pre-installation relative humidity and concrete moisture content testing has been successfully performed, meeting the “dry enough” specifications as per manufacturer guidelines, ambient conditions can change at the time of installation, causing condensation on the concrete floor. This condensation can bring the concrete back up above the specified “dry enough” threshold. If this goes undetected it can affect your flooring or coatings, causing floor failure.
In fact, it is believed that this is actually the cause of the vast majority of floor failures. It is well-established that concrete moisture testing is only valid at time of testing, which is why a concrete moisture test should be conducted immediately before and during the flooring installation. By implementing this easy Tramex Installation Quick Check - IQC, you can identify condensation at dew-point and prevent failures before they happen.
Tramex Installation Quick Check Concrete Moisture Test
There are 3 easy and instant steps to the Tramex Installation Quick Check Test.
Make sure the site is in in-service condition.
Step 1) Check the Ambient Conditions – ambient temperature, relative humidity and, in particular, the Dew Point temperature.
Step 2) Check the Surface Temperature of the concrete slab. Note: make sure that the temperature of the slab is at least 10°F (5°C) above the dew point.
Step 3) Check the % Moisture Content (MC) of the top ¾” (20mm) of the slab - use the Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter 5 - CME5, or the Tramex Moisture Encounter X5 - CMEX5, to get quantitative percentage moisture content readings.
- Making sure you have a clean area, abrade the surface as needed to get any residue off the surface of the slab and avoid any painting or drywall mud.
- Press the meter onto the surface to get a reading. Take 3 – 4 readings at each location , i.e.at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock (rotating the meter 90°) noting the highest reading.
Note: Industry professionals generally recommend the number of 4% MC for floor coverings and 3.5% MC for concrete coatings on newly-poured concrete.
When taking surface readings perform at least 8 tests for the first 1,000 ft² (100 m²) and at least 5 for each additional 1,000 ft² (100 m²) - per ASTM F2659, para 10.6.
Industry standards say if no pre-installation concrete moisture test was performed and a flooring or coating encounters a failure due to moisture after the installation, the responsibility falls on the installer. Tramex recommends always following manufacturer guidelines and international standards for pre-installation moisture testing and the Installation Quick Check - IQC, as a way to protect yourself against any moisture-related claims after the installation. This test can be performed with the Tramex Flooring Installation Quick Check or the Tramex Flooring Installation Quick Check Plus Kit.
Click here for step-by-step instructions.
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