Moisture In Concrete Walls

Measuring moisture in walls.
Moisture in concrete walls. Exterior humid air that enters the basement and condenses on cooler surfaces. Interior moisture sources such as humidifiers unvented clothes dryers bathrooms and cooking as well as the moisture in concrete after construction. In extreme cases moisture intrusion leads to spalling and could even necessitate wall replacement. It happens when there s excess moisture coming in and it can t get out of your house.
Controlling moisture in masonry is essential to preserving the integrity of your building projects. As mentioned above condensation leaks and inadequate drainage are generally the most common causes of moisture issues. Condensation proves a pervasive threat to buildings especially walls and concrete foundations. How moisture gets into concrete.
Concrete masonry walls are less affected by the problems associated with moisture infiltration and condensate than other building materials i e. Corrosion rotting mold delamination blistering and volumetric changes. Liquid water from rain or ground water. If you have damp patches bubbling paint crumbling plaster or powdery deposits on wall surfaces close to the floor rising damp is probably the culprit.
It also saturates insulation reducing energy efficiency. Some flooring system manufacturers have products that can handle 95 rh or mor 2. In commercial buildings the uncontrolled intrusion of moisture into concrete and masonry walls may have costly consequences. Acceptable moisture levels in concrete according to astm standard when testing via astm f2170 the rh level of a concrete slab needs to be at or below 75 unless the flooring system manufacturer provides alternate guidelines.
Moisture supports the growth of mold and causes wall coatings to blister and peel. So how can you be sure if the walls in a structure have a safe level of moisture. Read our tips for concrete moisture testing in the real world to learn more about concrete moisture testing. Above grade and below grade water can weaken the structure of a building by causing rotting corrosion and many more moisture induced issues.
Typically this will cause moisture related flooring problems or cause mold and mildew growth. Rising damp usually occurs in masonry. There are just three sources of moisture. When you read in a sealer data sheet that the mver needs to be 3 pounds or 5 pounds what that means is the number of pounds of water vapor per 1000 square feet per 24 hours.
The science behind moisture in walls is easy to understand.