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Stop rushing the floor prep on concrete slabs
I see crews slap down adhesive or underlayment on slabs that are still sweating or have a high pH, then wonder why the floor fails in a year. I tested a job site in Houston last summer where the slab read 85% humidity and a pH of 10. The installer said it 'felt dry enough' and went ahead. That LVT started buckling after eight months. You need a proper moisture meter and a pH test kit, every single time. It adds maybe thirty minutes to the job and saves a huge callback. What's your go-to method for testing a slab before you even bring materials in?
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val_williams6mo ago
You know what I read that really stuck with me? Some flooring guy wrote that a concrete slab is like a sponge, and you can't tell if a sponge is dry just by looking at the top. You have to check what's inside it. That's why the meter is so key. I saw a video where they used the plastic sheet test too, taping a square down overnight to check for condensation. But the proper meters don't lie. It's wild to me that people skip it when the fix is so much worse than the check.
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leeshah6mo ago
Felt dry enough" is a killer, I saw a glue-down carpet turn to mush from the same lazy check.
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