Insight For Selecting And Installing The Right Moisture-Resistant Flooring And Adhesive For Your Improvement Project
Posted on: 26 June 2020
The choice of flooring you install in your home depends on the outside climate and also the ease of cleaning and level of sound absorption you want in your home. In addition to selecting between carpeting, hardwood, and tile flooring, you should also look at the moisture level in the floor and in the environment to select the type of flooring and the adhesive used below the flooring to adhere it onto your floors securely. Here are some tips to help you install the right type of flooring for your basement and ground-floor projects.
Test for Slab Floor Moisture Levels
When you are installing flooring in your basement or on a ground floor that is made of concrete, the moisture levels in the slab floor can affect its installation. If there is a high level of humidity present naturally in the concrete surface, which is a naturally porous surface that absorbs nearby moisture, you will need to test the moisture level so you can take the necessary precautions when you install the flooring. A traditional type of adhesive-backed flooring may not be moisture resistant enough to keep it from lifting from the floor when the moisture level is high.
Test the humidity in the room you plan to install the flooring upon. You can do this by using a hydrometer in the room or hiring a flooring professional to test your concrete slab floor for its moisture level or relative humidity.
Choose a Waterproof Adhesive
The higher the moisture level of your slab floor, the more moisture-resistant your adhesive will need to be. Look to install flooring that has its own water-resistant adhesive or you can select an adhesive recommended by the manufacturer to use with the flooring type. This type of flooring may be vinyl flooring, plank flooring, tile flooring, or carpet tiles. Look for an adhesive that you apply with a trowel onto the cleaned and prepared floor. Be sure the trowel is notched so the trowel makes grooves in the adhesive to help the flooring adhere properly.
Additionally, you can install a moisture vapor barrier onto your concrete floor before you install the flooring. This will provide moisture protection to your flooring if there is a chance the relative humidity of the room and the floor can increase in the future. And your flooring adhesive that is built to hold fast in relative humidity of up to 90 percent, for example, will still stay stuck in place and not lift.
For more information, contact a waterproof flooring adhesive supplier.
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