Condensation proves a pervasive threat to buildings especially walls and concrete foundations.
Moisture in concrete walls.
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.
How moisture gets into concrete.
Water vapor leaves the surface of a concrete slab at a rate that is called the moisture vapor emission rate mver.
Read our tips for concrete moisture testing in the real world to learn more about concrete moisture testing.
Exterior humid air that enters the basement and condenses on cooler surfaces.
Some flooring system manufacturers have products that can handle 95 rh or mor 2.
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.
Concrete masonry walls are less affected by the problems associated with moisture infiltration and condensate than other building materials i e.
Above grade and below grade water can weaken the structure of a building by causing rotting corrosion and many more moisture induced issues.
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.
In extreme cases moisture intrusion leads to spalling and could even necessitate wall replacement.
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.
Controlling moisture in masonry is essential to preserving the integrity of your building projects.
Typically this will cause moisture related flooring problems or cause mold and mildew growth.
So how can you be sure if the walls in a structure have a safe level of moisture.
As mentioned above condensation leaks and inadequate drainage are generally the most common causes of moisture issues.
Rising damp usually occurs in masonry.
The science behind moisture in walls is easy to understand.
It happens when there s excess moisture coming in and it can t get out of your house.
Measuring moisture in walls.
Liquid water from rain or ground water.
Corrosion rotting mold delamination blistering and volumetric changes.
Interior moisture sources such as humidifiers unvented clothes dryers bathrooms and cooking as well as the moisture in concrete after construction.