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Common Myths about Concrete Moisture and Mitigation Q: How did you become an expert in moisture mitigation in concrete? A: In my 20+ years as a flooring claims investigator and my role since then as founder and principal of ISE Logik, I’ve encountered a lot of misconceptions about moisture and concrete. (In fact, some of these have been held by people you think would know better!) In our company, our business is to help everyone in the flooring and construction industry avoid the time consuming and costly impact of vapor transmission through concrete slabs with both our admixture formulas and topical coatings. Over time, moisture can simply ruin a beautiful flooring installation. So, we know all the ins and outs about moisture — we have to!
David P. Seland David Seland is a Principal and Founder of ISE Logik Industries. Over the past 35 years, he has worked in a wide range of positions in the building products industry, including floorcoverings, coatings, and substrates. As one of the top independent building products failure analysts focused on coverings and coatings applied to substrates, David directed over 5,000 on-site field inspections throughout the Americas. David’s expertise and determination for innovative and proactive solutions for concrete moisture control led to the formation of ISE Logik Industries — dedicated to stopping moisture vapor in its tracks.
Q: What’s a common misconception when the concrete surface is wet? A: That the moisture is coming from the concrete. In many cases, it may simply be from moisture in the air. Condensation. Check the dew point and ambient conditions and if 50° Fahrenheit or less from dew point. This is common with job sites where the ambient conditions are not effectively controlled. (Note that as time progresses during the day and the dew point spread increases, resulting in evaporation, the concrete surface will become dry.) Q: What are some common moisture testing errors or misconceptions? A: Four common mistakes come to mind. First, moisture tests are often conducted when the job site is not at service temperature and relative humidity for occupied normal use. When this happens, it goes against the ASTM requirement. Secondly, the required number of tests per ASTM is three tests for the first 1000 ft2 and at least one additional test for every 1000 ft2 after that. This required number of tests is not often done, especially on larger projects.
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