Although tough, concrete is in fact porous. Water can be wicked up by concrete and travel through it. Along the way, the water picks up salts in the concrete and carries them to the surface. When this water reaches the surface and evaporates, the salts are left behind. This makes the unsightly white product that often forms on concrete called efflorescence. To halt efflorescence, you require concrete moisture remediation.
If you notice cracks or joints in your concrete that never dry completely, this points to a significant cache of moisture beneath your slab. Some people try to mask the issue with tiles or DIY epoxy. Without a high-quality 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 expensive to resolve.
What to Do About Groundwater
Depending on the severity, you might need to fix the water problem before proceeding (sealing the concrete may not prevent challenges in the walls or other locations). If the situation is localized to the concrete, some cleanup and epoxy sealing should stop moisture from accumulating. West Coast Epoxy adds a liquid barrier to our epoxy sealer that stops delamination from water vapor. After the procedure is complete, the concrete floor is completely waterproof on top. Now you can safely overlay it with ceramic 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 generally does not matter so long as it is reliable. Epoxy coatings dry rapidly, limiting delays, but it cannot be applied to green concrete until the material is fully set. To learn more about water remediation for concrete floors, contact West Coast Epoxy for help in Woodland.
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