Moisture supports the growth of mold and causes wall coatings to blister and peel.
Moisture in concrete walls.
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.
Read our tips for concrete moisture testing in the real world to learn more about concrete moisture testing.
For example if the temperature in the room is around 80 degrees fahrenheit and the rh is 50 then a safe level of moisture in the wall would be about 9 1 mc.
The science behind moisture in walls is easy to understand.
Exterior humid air that enters the basement and condenses on cooler surfaces.
How moisture gets into concrete.
In extreme cases moisture intrusion leads to spalling and could even necessitate wall replacement.
Typically this will cause moisture related flooring problems or cause mold and mildew growth.
Corrosion rotting mold delamination blistering and volumetric changes.
Some flooring system manufacturers have products that can handle 95 rh or mor 2.
Measuring moisture in walls.
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.
In commercial buildings the uncontrolled intrusion of moisture into concrete and masonry walls may have costly consequences.
There are just three sources of moisture.
It happens when there s excess moisture coming in and it can t get out of your house.
Rising damp usually occurs in masonry.
Water vapor leaves the surface of a concrete slab at a rate that is called the moisture vapor emission rate mver.
Above grade and below grade water can weaken the structure of a building by causing rotting corrosion and many more moisture induced issues.
Concrete is like a sponge absorbing moisture from under the concrete which causes the moisture to come up through the concrete capillaries.
As mentioned above condensation leaks and inadequate drainage are generally the most common causes of moisture issues.
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.
Liquid water from rain or ground water.
Interior moisture sources such as humidifiers unvented clothes dryers bathrooms and cooking as well as the moisture in concrete after construction.
Condensation proves a pervasive threat to buildings especially walls and concrete foundations.
It also saturates insulation reducing energy efficiency.