Concrete is hard and enduring, making it a beautiful floor material for many kinds of structures. Given its reputation, it might stun you to learn that concrete is in fact porous. Given enough time, water from under walkways or slabs makes its way through the concrete to the surface and then evaporates. During its travels, the water carries salts dissolved from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water dries on the surface of the concrete. This ugly substance is named efflorescence.
Water comes up through the concrete for various reasons that do not involve leaking pipes. The form of soil and amount of rainfall might influence the amount of groundwater. The presence of springs or near-surface aquifers may create water reservoirs beneath your business or home. And a nearby creek, river or lake could affect the moisture 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 the level of severity, you might need to resolve the water problem ahead of proceeding (sealing the slab may not prevent challenges in the walls or other locations). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should halt water from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a liquid barrier to our epoxy sealer that halts delamination from water vapor. After this process is complete, the concrete foundation is fully waterproof on top. Thus, you can safely overlay it with tiles, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant makes sure your floor surface won’t be vulnerable to moisture again.
The water remediation process benefits a concrete floor of any age and is fast enough to avoid costly delays for planned remodels. 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 assistance in Loomis.
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