Testing your concrete floor for moisture moisture testing is an important aspect in providing a successful concrete floor coating project.
Concrete floor moisture test.
How to do a relative humidity test on a concrete floor 1.
Completely clean the surface of the concrete with a broom or vacuum.
Moisture in concrete should be measured by an anhydrous calcium chloride test kit per the astm f 1869 test method or by using an in situ probe test for relative humidity rh per the astm f 2170.
Here are the two most common types of test for concrete moisture.
How to test a concrete floor for excessive moisture 1.
Duct tape an 18 inch square piece of plastic onto the exposed concrete and leave it for 16 hours.
Concrete moisture is a sincere enemy of epoxy floor coatings so before you start thinking about applying that epoxy take the time to find out just how much moisture is in the floor.
Cut a sheet of plastic 1 1 2 to 3 feet square.
Three tests must be performed for the first 1 000 sq.
Insert the sensor to the bottom of the hole 4.
Condensed moisture accumulation under the plastic at 16 hours can indicate a problem.
Testing concrete for moisture astm f2170 stipulates the use of in situ probes to determine the moisture condition of a concrete slab at the time that it will be sealed or covered by flooring material.
Cut the plastic sheeting.
After 72 hours a humidity reading is taken under the plastic with a dew point hygrometer.
Purchase a tramex rh moisture test kit easiest way to test for rh in a concrete slab 2.
Cut clear plastic sheeting into several 24 by 24 inch squares.
Make sure the plastic has no holes or tears.
To use this method astm d 4263 standard test method for indicating moisture in concrete by the plastic sheet method a plastic sheet is tightly taped to the concrete.
For successful flooring projects it is crucial to measure moisture below the surface of the concrete slab.
Other tests are surface based and do not give reliable results.
Slice through the plastic with the utility knife measurements and the.
Place the sheet down and ensure it is flat all.
And one for every 1 000 sq.
For example the anhydrous calcium chloride test measures only the moisture vapor emission rate coming from the slab s surface.