Concrete is hard and durable, making it a beautiful floor material for the majority of structures. Given its repute, it may shock you to read that concrete is in reality porous. Given sufficient time, water from beneath walkways or slabs makes its way through the concrete to its surface, and the water then evaporates. During its travel, the water carries salts taken from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water evaporates on the surface of the concrete. This unseemly effect is named efflorescence.
If you notice joints or cracks in your floor that don’t dry completely, this indicates a significant cache of moisture under your slab. Some people try to hide the issue with tile or cheap epoxy. Without a proper sealant, however, the water finds a way through, resulting in loose tiles or coatings that bubble and peel away. Then the problem becomes worse and more costly to resolve.
What to Do About Groundwater
Depending on the severity, you may need to repair the water problem ahead of proceeding (sealing the floor may not prevent challenges in the walls or other spots). If the situation is localized to the concrete, a cleanup and good quality epoxy sealing should halt water from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a water barrier to our epoxy sealer that stops peeling from water vapor. After the process is complete, the concrete foundation is waterproof on top. So, you can confidently overlay it with ceramic tiles, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant ensures your floor surface will not be vulnerable to moisture again.
The water remediation treatment benefits a concrete floor of any age and is fast enough to prevent unwanted delays for planned renovations. If you have any worries about moisture remediation during your remodel or building project, please give West Coast Epoxy a call or schedule a free consultation online for help in Citrus Heights.
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