Concrete is hard and long-lasting, making it a top-notch floor material for many kinds of structures. Given its repute, it might surprise you to read that concrete is in reality porous. Given sufficient time, water from underneath walkways or slabs makes its way through the concrete to the surface, and the water then evaporates. During its travels, the water picks up salts dissolved from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water dries on the surface of the concrete. This unseemly product is named efflorescence.
Water comes up through the floor for a number of reasons that do not involve leaky pipes. The type of soil and amount of rainfall can influence the level of groundwater. The presence of springs or near-surface aquifers may create water reservoirs underneath your business or home. And a nearby lake, river or stream might affect the water content in the soil, especially if your foundation is below the level of the high water mark.
What to Do About Groundwater
Depending on the level of severity, you might need to repair the water problem before proceeding with construction (sealing the slab may not prevent issues in the walls or other spots). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should halt moisture from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a water barrier to our epoxy sealer that prevents delamination from water vapor. After this treatment is complete, the concrete foundation is indeed waterproof on top. Thus, you can safely overlay it with tiles, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant ensures your floor surface will not be vulnerable to moisture again.
With epoxy sealers, the age of the concrete typically does not matter, if it is reliable. Epoxy coatings dry quickly, limiting delays, but it cannot be applied to new concrete until the material is fully set. To discover more about moisture remediation for concrete floors, call West Coast Epoxy for help in Gold River.
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