Epoxy & Polyurethane Vapor Retarders
CONCRETE MOISTURE MITIGATION
TESTING FOR RH% IN BASEMENT CONCRETE SLABS: RH stands for "Relative Humidity". Many adhesives and various flooring options may have RH requirements ranging anywhere from 70%-100%. When the RH% is above 85%, we would strongly recommend to have a vapor retarder installed before any floor leveling pour. In the event that the RH% is high in a concrete slab and flooring is installed over the top, this can result in the RH% climbing to 100%, which would produce
POLYURETHANE VAPOR RETARDERS: These retarders can be installed at an RH up 98%. Ideally, all adhesives, products, etc. are removed, and the surface is ground down for proper adhesion. This retarder would be installed in two coats, and would effectively eliminate any issues with water vapor coming up through the slab. It still allows the concrete slab to "breathe", while also preventing condensation.
condensation in between the flooring and the slab. Many adhesives have a RH tolerance at around 75-95%, which can fail when those tolerances are surpassed.
Even at a high RH of 99%, the concrete will look and feel dry. For this reason, it is vital to test the RH% prior to flooring installations. The RH test are conducted by drilling into the concrete and placing a digital RH sensor. After about 1 hr, you will get a close measurement, but 24 hrs would need to pass to get full acclimation of the sensor to get the most accurate reading.
EPOXY VAPOR RETARDERS: These retarders can be installed at an RH up 100%. Ideally, all adhesives, products, etc. are removed, and the surface is ground down for proper adhesion. This retarder would be installed in one coat, and would effectively eliminate any issues with water vapor coming up through the slab. It still allows the concrete slab to "breathe", while also preventing condensation.
Our Services
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEVEL YOUR SUBSTRATE BEFORE INSTALLING FLOORING? This is of concern for many flooring installations as typically most manufacturers specify a substrate that is flat within about 1/8" - 3/16" in every 8 lin ft. For this reason, it is very important to address substrate issues so as to not void the manufacturer warranty. Also, whether the flooring by Luxury Vinyl (LVP, LVT), hardwood, etc., you may see/feel low and high spots after installation if the substrate is not corrected and leveled. The following are some concerns with installing over uneven substrate:
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Hollow areas
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Lighting highlights imperfections across flooring
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Voids manufacturer warranties
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Causes stress on the tongue/groove components of the flooring (over time can break)
HOW MUCH DOES FLOOR LEVELING IN MY BASEMENT COST? This can vary depending on factors such as how many sq ft, any RH issues, how uneven the concrete floors are, depth of pour, and and any floor prep needed. There can typically be a wide range any where from $1,000 - $30,000 for most basements. Feel free to call us at 303-728-4531 to give you a better idea and to narrow down that range for your project. If it sounds like we are in the ball park, we offer free in-home estimates.
Feel free to call us with the following information, and we would be happy to give you a ballpark idea before we come out in person.
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How many sq ft floor leveler needed?
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Aproximately how deep will the pour be? (Use 8 ft level to gauge aprox)
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Any adhesives, flooring, asbestos, etc. on the substrate currently?
HOW DOES LEVELIT TAKE QUALITY CONTROL SERIOUSLY? We take pride in making sure each project is up to our standards. After each of our floor leveling pours, we come back to inspect our work for being truly level/flat, bonding properly, etc. We will show you in person what we look for in a quality floor leveling pour during our quality control visit.
WHICH AREAS DOES LEVELIT SERVICE? We service all areas from Castle Rock to Fort Collins. This includes Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Englewood, Golden, Arvada, Parker, Aurora, Denver, Westminster, Lakewood, Boulder, and Longmont.
Feel free to reach out to us at 303-728-4531 to schedule for free consultation today!
Projects
Would you like to have a better idea of how your floor leveling project might look like? Feel free to check out the following projects from the Denver Metro in Colorado.
Brighton, CO
This is a small pour for bathroom LVP project in Brighton, CO. There was dip in the floor that we were able to correct using floor leveler.
Denver, CO
In this Denver basement, there was a wall removed which left a height difference between the concrete slab on one side to the other of about 1/2". After grinding and prepping the surface, we poured floor leveler across the whole room.
Erie, CO
At this project, we poured floor leveler across the whole basement. It involved damming a few areas, taking off the baseboard, sealing all the edges, and then pouring self-leveler across the whole basement.
Denver, CO
In this Denver basement, there was a wall removed which left a height difference between the concrete slab on one side to the other of about 1/2". After grinding and prepping the surface, we poured floor leveler across the whole room.
