Acrylic Sealers and High Humidity don’t always go hand in hand.
Recently one of our estimators went out to a job to provide consultation on a problem they were having. Upon arrival, he realized that they laid down an acrylic sealer over a concrete slab that had extremely high humidity. This resulted in a floor that appeared milky and billowed up from the concrete. Acrylic sealers and high humidity can be disastrous.
So why did this sealer de-laminate?
After grinding a portion of the floor to remove the sealer and topical stain (the previous contractor screwed up not only the sealer but also did a poor stain job with the wrong color).
We did a humidity test of the concrete. This came out to an extremely high level of above 94%. When the relative humidity in concrete is this high, it can evaporate when in hot conditions resulting in condensation. It was this condensation that resulted in the delamination.
How is this something that is prevented?
Number one is that there should always be a vapor barrier installed. however its virtually unheard of, especially in Florida, to pour a slab without one. Secondly, always make sure the slab is dried out and its environment is not humid; ie.. wet drywall mud, rainy days, closed environment with lots of traffic are possible determinants.
It is also important to make sure that your subcontractors always know what they are doing in professional manners. A significant third way to prevent this type of occurrence is by switching to polished concrete.
Protect and Preserve for a longlasting result.
Polished concrete works with densifiers and stain guards to protect and preserve the floor. This renders additional sealers arbitrary and even a hindrance. A sealer such as acrylic will over time wear through and could visibly scratch through.
When you go with polished concrete, on the other hand, you are dealing directly with the concrete. It goes through a densifying and a stain guarding process which does just what it sounds like.
This is a much more durable finish that will not only hold up to long term wear but if installed and cared for properly, will not need a refurbish for years and years to come. worrying about things such as waxing, reapplication, scraping, etc will be of the past.
Contact us here for more information and commercial opportunities.