First test the moisture level of the subfloor.
Vinyl flooring moisture testing.
The trouble starts when the persistent presence of moisture underneath the floor corrodes the adhesive causing the edges to pull away and possibly causing discoloration and stain rings.
For this reason installations over concrete should always include moisture testing and moisture control measures for the slab.
1 in most regions of the country a dry wood subfloor that is ready to work has a moisture content of 12 percent or less or down to about 6 in states with low rh relative humidity.
Floor covering manufacturers whether producers of tile wood carpet or high performance floor coatings publish the maximum allowable moisture content of the concrete over which their flooring products can be installed based on results of various astm test methods.
To determine if your hardwood floors need to be acclimated you can use a wood floor moisture test.
Wood subfloors are actually easy to check for moisture content just test for moisture at several locations in the room and average the results fig.
Testing wood subfloors.
In general 12 moisture or above is too wet to install flooring.
We had a friend contractor to suggest doing a moisture test before purchasing any flooring.
Concrete slabs and floors can be excellent subfloor surfaces for tile and other floor coverings but too much moisture in the concrete can cause problems with flooring installations.
Installations in wet rooms should also include measures to ensure that the seams and perimeter of the floor are well sealed to prevent moisture getting under the luxury vinyl onto subfloor below.
When you install hardwood laminate or vinyl flooring over a concrete subfloor one of the most important steps to take to ensure the lasting beauty and stability of your floors is moisture testing.
Ideally it should be between 7 and 9.
But the cost of moisture related problems can be just as high even with these seemingly moisture proof floors.
A third option a simple diy test can indicate the presence of excess moisture either on the slab surface or in the room s air but it cannot measure.
Before you lay the first plank you must ensure that the moisture level in the concrete subfloor is low enough that it will not affect your flooring.
Flooring manufacturers rate their products based on the moisture levels they can tolerate and testing your slab can tell you if a particular flooring material is likely to perform adequately.
Because both vinyl and rubber floorings are naturally impervious to water it would seem that moisture testing for rubber or vinyl flooring applications might be unnecessary.
It ll take any number of spills you can imagine and keep on going.
Therefore it s advisable to have a floor tested for moisture content prior to installing flooring or moisture barriers.
If installing wooden floors these meters can double as a hardwood floor moisture meter.
