Substrate moisture is one, if not the most common cause of flooring failure. All reputable hardwood and vinyl flooring manufacturers require that moisture testing be performed prior to flooring installation.
Electronic Testing and Moisture Mapping
Service starts at $300
Prior to performing ASTM standardized moisture tests, a moisture map should be made, followed by periodic monitoring. This is an important step after a flood, especially is the source of water was a slab leak.
Many, if not most on-grade concrete slabs will fail standardized testing, if the goal is to install a moisture sensitive flooring material. Most often a slab just never reaches the standard of 3lb of vapor transmission over a 24 hour period. Considerably higher vapor transmission levels are actual the norm, so it is important to know the slabs natural moisture vapor content prior to designing a moisture vapor control system.
Moisture mapping allows the technician to visualize the condition of the slab, and to choose the right time to perform ASTM standardized moisture testing (ASTM 1869 of F2170).
Once standardized test results have been obtained, appropriate flooring installation materials and methods can be utilized.
Schedule and inspection: