Before you install hardwood flooring in your home, check for moisture. Always check your sub-floor, to make sure the conditions are right before installation. A High moisture content in you sub-floor can create problems. These problems range from cupping issues in solid hardwood, to finish blistering of engineered floors. These problems are explained in more detail further in the post.
A moisture meter is the most common tool used for moisture testing. When testing concrete slabs; test several areas to make sure the job-site is within tolerance. If you find a high reading in one area, but not another you need to investigate further. Moisture testing is almost always done by the flooring contractor, so make sure he is checking the job-site properly. Grading issues, plumbing leaks and insufficient insulation are other issues that may need to be addressed. Moisture problems can damage floors and cost you thousands of dollars, so make sure all appropriate measures are taken. If your flooring contractor finds that the moisture reading in your concrete is high, do not let him install the floor. Ask him to document those readings and to offer you solutions.
One way to solve a high moisture problem is to use Bostik's MVP (moisture vapor protection). This product is a trowelable urethane that blocks, or inhibits moisture from coming up into your floor. A urethane adhesive is not a sufficient moisture barrier. It will however provide a better bond to the substrate, than an acrylic or water-based adhesive. Another alternative to using MVP, (which is expensive) is to float your hardwood floor. The floating method is not adhered to the sub-floor and is floated over an underlayment and moisture barrier, such as visqueen.
If you have a plywood sub-floor, then make sure there is a vapor barrier underneath the house. If there is no vapor barrier under the house, mold will start to grow and cause many problems within your home. When testing for moisture for solid hardwoods, make sure the floor is checked for moisture as well as the sub-floor. If the wood is not acclimated properly you will have cupping issues. Proper acclimation is more than just storing wood flooring in your home for a couple of days. It is properly acclimated when the moisture content of the wood is within the allowable difference of the moisture content in the sub-floor, according to the NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) guidelines.
Cupping appears as a ripple effect across the floor. The only way to fix cupping issues is to eliminate the moisture problem and sand and refinish the floor. In some cases the entire floor may need to be replaced. Cupping can reside on its own once the moisture problems have been fixed, however there is no guarantee. Relative humidity can play an important role in the performance of your new floor. The humidity should remain between 35-55 percent. High humidity can cause cupping issues, end gapping and allow mold to grow. Low humidity can cause the floor to shrink, the finish to crack, or the floor to delaminate. Delaminating is when the top veneer of the wood releases from its plywood backing. I hope I have helped you recognize the potential problems with moisture. Hopefully this information will keep you from having any problems in the future.
Thanks
The Floor Man
A moisture meter is the most common tool used for moisture testing. When testing concrete slabs; test several areas to make sure the job-site is within tolerance. If you find a high reading in one area, but not another you need to investigate further. Moisture testing is almost always done by the flooring contractor, so make sure he is checking the job-site properly. Grading issues, plumbing leaks and insufficient insulation are other issues that may need to be addressed. Moisture problems can damage floors and cost you thousands of dollars, so make sure all appropriate measures are taken. If your flooring contractor finds that the moisture reading in your concrete is high, do not let him install the floor. Ask him to document those readings and to offer you solutions.
One way to solve a high moisture problem is to use Bostik's MVP (moisture vapor protection). This product is a trowelable urethane that blocks, or inhibits moisture from coming up into your floor. A urethane adhesive is not a sufficient moisture barrier. It will however provide a better bond to the substrate, than an acrylic or water-based adhesive. Another alternative to using MVP, (which is expensive) is to float your hardwood floor. The floating method is not adhered to the sub-floor and is floated over an underlayment and moisture barrier, such as visqueen.
If you have a plywood sub-floor, then make sure there is a vapor barrier underneath the house. If there is no vapor barrier under the house, mold will start to grow and cause many problems within your home. When testing for moisture for solid hardwoods, make sure the floor is checked for moisture as well as the sub-floor. If the wood is not acclimated properly you will have cupping issues. Proper acclimation is more than just storing wood flooring in your home for a couple of days. It is properly acclimated when the moisture content of the wood is within the allowable difference of the moisture content in the sub-floor, according to the NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) guidelines.
Cupping appears as a ripple effect across the floor. The only way to fix cupping issues is to eliminate the moisture problem and sand and refinish the floor. In some cases the entire floor may need to be replaced. Cupping can reside on its own once the moisture problems have been fixed, however there is no guarantee. Relative humidity can play an important role in the performance of your new floor. The humidity should remain between 35-55 percent. High humidity can cause cupping issues, end gapping and allow mold to grow. Low humidity can cause the floor to shrink, the finish to crack, or the floor to delaminate. Delaminating is when the top veneer of the wood releases from its plywood backing. I hope I have helped you recognize the potential problems with moisture. Hopefully this information will keep you from having any problems in the future.
Thanks
The Floor Man
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