The problem of moisture damage

Making sure that your concrete floor is protected against moisture is fast becoming one of the biggest challenges modern contractors face. In fact, according to the Building Services Authority (BSA), 85% of flooring failures are due to the presence of excess moisture in the concrete.

The problem doesn’t stop there. The BSA is inundated with an incredible number of claims of timber and vinyl flooring failure, most resulting from either wet and or green concrete, or hydrostatic pressure.

These issues might spring from the fact that many believe (incorrectly) that concrete is dry as soon as you can walk on it. In truth, it’s the exact opposite, and for a flooring installation to conform to the AS 1884-2012 Australian standards, concrete must have a relative humidity reading no greater than 75%. Under normal circumstances an average slab of 100mm thick concrete can take four to five months of drying time before it will adhere to the standard.

Even worse, if the concrete conforms to the Australian standard, but there’s further water introduced ie; rain, damaged pipes etc, it will act like a sponge, and continue to absorb water, causing the same problems.

The solution

One of the more affordable and effective measures you can take against moisture damage is using a moisture barrier. The technology behind moisture barriers has seen some great improvements over the past years and offers builders the ability to deal with the presence of moisture in concrete of any age.

DuraCore’s Moisture Proof moisture barrier, for example, can be poured directly onto the concrete and broomed around. It penetrates deep into the concrete’s matrix, creating an internal and permanent barrier against moisture from hydro-static pressure.

Moisture Proof also has the following benefits:

• it can be applied to almost any concrete product containing 10% Portland cement.
• it is easy to apply and can be broomed on to existing concrete or at time of pour.
• the surface is foot traffic-able after just 1 hour.
• Install floor coverings within 24 hours of application to existing concrete or within 14 days of application if used at time of pour.
• it is more than 21% cheaper than other waterproofing membrane methods.

For more information about DuraCore’s range of products, please feel free to contact us or visit www.duracore.com.au. Alternatively, to find your nearest distributor please click here.