TIPS FROM TIM: An Eye on Moisture Levels

The new flooring you just had installed looks fantastic. A few weeks later, you notice some slight swelling at the joints. Then you notice some boards lifting up. Before you know it your floor is a shambles. What happened? Excessive moisture is likely the culprit.

Excessive moisture in the subfloor is the cause of many flooring failures. Adhesive failure, bubbles, mold, mildew and buckling can all be the result of installing flooring in high moisture areas. Excessive moisture levels can be caused by many factors such as clogged downspouts and gutters, no vapor barrier below concrete, concrete not fully cured, and not grading water flow away from your home.

Simply keeping downspouts and gutters cleaned can drastically reduce moisture levels. If high moisture is present, it can usually be reduced by applying a moisture reduction membrane before flooring installation. This may add some additional cost and time to the job, but is essential to the installation process. Issues on a job are better addressed before installation than after a flooring failure.

It is very important to conduct moisture testing before flooring installation begins. All manufacturers have guidelines for moisture content levels before their products can be installed and it is important to follow these guidelines to prevent possible failure of the flooring in the future.

Making sure your moisture levels are acceptable is a crucial step in the estimating and installation process and can prevent many headaches down the road.

-Tim

Tim Walts, Operations Manager at Carpet Plus, was recently granted the designation of Certified Flooring Executive (the highest status conferred by the flooring industry!) by the World Floor Covering Association. Tim worked as an installer for over 10 years and holds top certification from the Certified Floorcovering Installers Association, Inc.