Although hard, concrete is in fact porous. Water can be wicked up by concrete and flow through it. Along the way, the water absorbs salts in the concrete and moves them to the surface. Once the water reaches the surface and evaporates, the salts are left behind. This makes the unseemly white stuff that often forms on concrete called efflorescence. To prevent efflorescence, you need concrete moisture remediation.
Water comes up through the floor for multiple reasons that do not involve leaking pipes. The type of soil and amount of rainfall can influence the level of ground water. The presence of springs or near-surface aquifers can create water reservoirs underneath your home or business. And a nearby stream, river or lake might influence the water content in the ground, especially if your foundation is below the level of the high water mark.
What to Do About Ground Water
Depending on severity, you might need to resolve the water problem ahead of proceeding (sealing the slab may not prevent issues in the walls or other parts). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should halt water from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a water barrier to our epoxy sealer that halts bubbling from water vapor. After the process is complete, the concrete floor is indeed waterproof on top. Therefore, you can confidently overlay it with tile, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant makes sure your floor surface won’t be vulnerable to moisture again.
With epoxy sealers, the age of the concrete usually does not matter, if it is reliable. Epoxy coatings dry quickly, minimizing delays, but it cannot be applied to green concrete until the material is fully set. To discover more about water remediation for concrete floors, call West Coast Epoxy for assistance in El Dorado Hills.
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