Concrete is solid and strong, making it a wonderful foundation material for the majority of properties. Given its reputation, it may shock you to read that concrete is in truth quite porous. Given sufficient time, water from under walkways or slabs makes its way through the concrete to its surface, and the water then evaporates. During its travels, the water transports salts dissolved from the concrete. These salts become a white powder when the water evaporates on the surface of the concrete. This unsightly material is called efflorescence.
Water comes up through the concrete for many reasons that do not involve leaking pipes. The amount of rainfall and type of soil may influence the height of groundwater. The presence of springs or near-surface aquifers can create water reservoirs underneath your location. And a nearby stream, river or lake might influence the water content in the soil, especially if your foundation is below the level of the high water mark.
What To Do About Efflorescence
Depending on severity, you might need to resolve the water issue before proceeding with installing flooring (sealing the slab may not prevent challenges in the walls or other spaces). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should keep water from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a liquid barrier to our epoxy sealer that halts peeling from water vapor. After the treatment is complete, the concrete foundation is indeed waterproof on top. So, you can confidently overlay it with tiles, wood, carpet, or laminates. The epoxy sealant makes sure your floor surface won’t be vulnerable to moisture again.
For epoxy sealants, the age of the concrete generally does not matter, if it is stable. Epoxy coatings dry quickly, minimizing delays, but it cannot be applied to green concrete until the material is fully set. To learn more about moisture remediation for concrete floors, talk with West Coast Epoxy for help in Roseville.
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