Surface Design Systems offers a wide range of specialty services. The enclosed captions represent a few of those services that may interest your firm for existing remedial inquiry or as a source for specification.
Common Moisture Control Problems, Myths and Extras
- Vapour emission volume does not mean vapour pressure.
- Vapour emission volume is a measurement of vapour emitted from the concrete surface. It does not indicate where it came from. Vapour pressure is created by differences in temperature and humidity between concrete surface, concrete interior and the use environment.
- Moisture problems in the majority of floors are not waterproofing problems.
- All water has vapour pressure dependent on temperature and humidity (even frozen water has vapour pressure).
- Contrary to popular belief, moisture tends to migrate to the cooler, damper side, not the warmer, drier side.
- Under-slab vapour barriers do not prevent moisture from reaching the slab.
- Moisture can migrate through the holes created by screed stakes pipe penetrations. Concrete is extremely hygroscopic and, in the right conditions, can actually absorb enough moisture from the atmosphere to appear wet (dewpoint /condensation). If the interior section of the concrete is cooler than the surface, moisture will migrate toward that cooler, damper area. There is a common misconception that once moisture cannot enter concrete from the soil, moisture will no longer be a problem.
- Hydration means to chemically combine with water.
- How concrete hardens is still not completely understood.
- In any livable environment, concrete is never dry.
- On average, it takes approximately 870 days for the average concrete slab, 102 mm (4 in. to 5 in. thick) to “dry out”.
- Curing of concrete is the opposite of drying.
For further information on moisture control please see our Moisture Control Systems.
Canadian Tire Moisture Control Remediation August 2005
Surface Design Systems utilized Ardex Engineered Cements moisture control system to reduce a 13 lb problem that exhibited a pH of 12. The client was installing Nora Rubber and interface carpet tile throughout a 52,000 square foot facility that required moisture emissions not to exceed a 3 lb upper threshold. The compliance level was reduced below 3 lbs through a specialty procedure, as illustrated in our photo gallery. Ardex Engineered Cements technology truly exhibits the fine lines of the finished floor goods over the aforementioned moisture control system as illustrated. Read Gary Maskaluk’s reference letter
Other References for Moisture Control Remediation
Chedoke Twin Pad Arena
Niagara College
Brouwer Construction
Other Concrete Restoration Services
Sir James Whitney School – Over Wood
R. E. Hein Construction, Ottawa, Ontario
Six 6° Degrees Architectures and Design- Toronto, Ontario
Surface Design Systems was approached to install a high performance non bonded specialty concrete flooring system over wood throughout the above mentioned historical site.
Mapei Canada through their concrete restoration systems supplied, Surface Design Systems their proprietary Mapei HCT add mixture technology. Surface Design Systems installed 1 5/8″ of this technology with custom made 2″ by 2″ welded wire mesh for reinforcement, prior to installing Mapei self leveling concrete underlayment to acheive a flat, smooth surface. The Mapei HCT Mapecem system is a shrinkage compensated Portland cement base binder that when added to selected aggregates with water creates a fast curing high strength interior mortar or topping. As illustrated in our photo gallery, this was a perfect fit for this given environment.
Read our Mapei Qualified Applicator Letter
Other Concrete Restoration References
Please review our photo gallery.