We installed a glue down engineered wood floor on an at grade concrete slab with a local flooring company in October of 2006. The house was built in 2002 so the slab had been in place for 4 years. A moisture test was done at the time and a 2-1 glue from Bostic was used based on the test. This past summer my wife was in some heels on an area in the floor and one went through the top surface and punctured the floor, she stepped over slightly (on the same board) and it happened again. We were shocked it had happened. We later consulted our flooring company who had someone come look at it. To make a long story short it's been months now and the plank has cracked from side to side and the floor has begun to come loose and unglued from the concrete in an area about 5 feet all around the puncture. The flooring company/manufacturer sent an inspector out to look it. His report states that it is a moisture problem. Using a "Tramex" meter he found readings of 16.4% to 18.9% in the lifting areas and 8.6% to 11.3% in unaffected areas. He also found two other areas that have come un-adhered. One is on the other side of the wall from the original living room problem and the other is 25' away down a hallway to our bedroom. Both also have about a 5' area that is un-adhered.
I have no idea what to do now. I don't understand how it could be moisture since all of my water lines run in the attic and down through walls. The only pipes under my concrete are drains for water and sewage, but none are in the areas affected. We live in the Fresno California area and have had almost no rain this year and there is little to no humidity here. The inspectors test of the surrounding walls and outside showed no moisture problems, only in these center areas of the house. The flooring company has offered to sell me new material at cost, but have yet to provide any insight into how I should proceed. Are there new moisture barrier coatings that I can put down over this area that will work with the 19% readings? If not, how do I begin to figure out what is causing the moisture and how to fix it? I could really use some professional advice on how to proceed.
edited by westech21 on 1/21/2014
I have no idea what to do now. I don't understand how it could be moisture since all of my water lines run in the attic and down through walls. The only pipes under my concrete are drains for water and sewage, but none are in the areas affected. We live in the Fresno California area and have had almost no rain this year and there is little to no humidity here. The inspectors test of the surrounding walls and outside showed no moisture problems, only in these center areas of the house. The flooring company has offered to sell me new material at cost, but have yet to provide any insight into how I should proceed. Are there new moisture barrier coatings that I can put down over this area that will work with the 19% readings? If not, how do I begin to figure out what is causing the moisture and how to fix it? I could really use some professional advice on how to proceed.
edited by westech21 on 1/21/2014