ᐅ Click vinyl flooring and residual moisture in the subfloor: how significant is the risk?
Created on: 10 Oct 2024 00:22
J
Jschm88Hi,
I’m quite desperate and looking for advice and maybe some reassurance.
We moved into our house last week. We installed the flooring ourselves, while the rest was done by contractors. Unfortunately, before the tiles and vinyl flooring were installed, I forgot to do a CM (calcium chloride) moisture test. I had actually planned to do it, but then our daughter was born, and with all the construction stress, I completely forgot about this crucial test. I still blame myself for that.
I’m very worried this will cause problems and I can’t enjoy our beautiful home. Between the screed being poured and the start (not the completion!) of the flooring installation (click vinyl and tiles, including grouting and baseboards, which I unfortunately sealed very tightly with silicone), there were about 14 weeks for the upper floor and even 19 weeks for the vinyl on the ground floor before tile installation began after 13 weeks.
Some technical details:
- Calcium sulfate screed, 60mm (2.4 inches) on the upper floor, 70-80mm (2.8-3.1 inches) on the ground floor
- Underfloor heating
- Click vinyl with MDF core on the upper floor, full vinyl on the ground floor, both with underlays for impact sound insulation and polyethylene (PE) foil underneath
- During the drying phase (April to July) we naturally ventilated and heated, but because it was extremely rainy and humid, the drying process was slow. We even used three construction dehumidifiers and three fans for an additional four weeks
- The site manager only measured surface moisture and considered it dry
- The screed installer is confident, but of course I haven’t received anything in writing
I know it’s my own fault and I blame myself the most.
My questions:
- I realize it’s just a guess, but how realistic is it that there is still enough moisture in the screed now to cause structural damage?
- What would be the worst case? Loss of the flooring? Mold? Is it possible to detect mold early on?
- Is there any way to measure moisture now to finally get some peace of mind? I can’t exactly remove flooring in the middle of a room…
- What would be the best course of action? Bringing in an expert? Waiting and monitoring?
Thank you all so much!
I’m quite desperate and looking for advice and maybe some reassurance.
We moved into our house last week. We installed the flooring ourselves, while the rest was done by contractors. Unfortunately, before the tiles and vinyl flooring were installed, I forgot to do a CM (calcium chloride) moisture test. I had actually planned to do it, but then our daughter was born, and with all the construction stress, I completely forgot about this crucial test. I still blame myself for that.
I’m very worried this will cause problems and I can’t enjoy our beautiful home. Between the screed being poured and the start (not the completion!) of the flooring installation (click vinyl and tiles, including grouting and baseboards, which I unfortunately sealed very tightly with silicone), there were about 14 weeks for the upper floor and even 19 weeks for the vinyl on the ground floor before tile installation began after 13 weeks.
Some technical details:
- Calcium sulfate screed, 60mm (2.4 inches) on the upper floor, 70-80mm (2.8-3.1 inches) on the ground floor
- Underfloor heating
- Click vinyl with MDF core on the upper floor, full vinyl on the ground floor, both with underlays for impact sound insulation and polyethylene (PE) foil underneath
- During the drying phase (April to July) we naturally ventilated and heated, but because it was extremely rainy and humid, the drying process was slow. We even used three construction dehumidifiers and three fans for an additional four weeks
- The site manager only measured surface moisture and considered it dry
- The screed installer is confident, but of course I haven’t received anything in writing
I know it’s my own fault and I blame myself the most.
My questions:
- I realize it’s just a guess, but how realistic is it that there is still enough moisture in the screed now to cause structural damage?
- What would be the worst case? Loss of the flooring? Mold? Is it possible to detect mold early on?
- Is there any way to measure moisture now to finally get some peace of mind? I can’t exactly remove flooring in the middle of a room…
- What would be the best course of action? Bringing in an expert? Waiting and monitoring?
Thank you all so much!
N
nordanney10 Oct 2024 09:38Jschm88 schrieb:
Crystal ball, but how realistic is it that there is still so much moisture in the screed to cause damage to the building? Very unlikely.
Jschm88 schrieb:
Can you tell if something like mold is present? Check under the vinyl flooring. I would be even more relaxed with tiles.
Jschm88 schrieb:
What would be the best way to proceed? Get an expert? Wait and see? Take a deep breath and enjoy the new house. Do nothing.
No one will give you a guarantee, but considering the time including forced drying, it is very unlikely since the residual moisture is crucial. Moreover, some of the mentioned floor coverings, like tiles and solid vinyl, are relatively resistant to residual moisture.
Since we're talking about tiles: I assume you installed them in the bathrooms. Was the floor waterproofed beforehand? Who carried out the waterproofing? If it was the construction company, they should have conducted a moisture measurement before applying the waterproofing.
Since we're talking about tiles: I assume you installed them in the bathrooms. Was the floor waterproofed beforehand? Who carried out the waterproofing? If it was the construction company, they should have conducted a moisture measurement before applying the waterproofing.
Hello everyone and thank you for the previous responses. I feel a bit more reassured…
Regarding the tiles: they were installed by my brother-in-law, who is a professional tiler. The bathroom was therefore waterproofed, but an additional treatment was also applied, with the screeder’s invoice stating that the screed is ready for covering after 14 days. Because of this, I’ve been relaxed about it so far and didn’t mention it in the original post.
The guest toilet, utility room, and hallway were tiled as described above, without waterproofing and without testing.
In the utility room, at the point where the conduit pipes enter the house, there is still an open area down to the floor slab. Would it be possible to take a sample from the screed there? It should be accessible!
Looking under the vinyl flooring is difficult since it is click-locked and the baseboards are also in place, so I cannot lift any edges.
Regarding the tiles: they were installed by my brother-in-law, who is a professional tiler. The bathroom was therefore waterproofed, but an additional treatment was also applied, with the screeder’s invoice stating that the screed is ready for covering after 14 days. Because of this, I’ve been relaxed about it so far and didn’t mention it in the original post.
The guest toilet, utility room, and hallway were tiled as described above, without waterproofing and without testing.
In the utility room, at the point where the conduit pipes enter the house, there is still an open area down to the floor slab. Would it be possible to take a sample from the screed there? It should be accessible!
Looking under the vinyl flooring is difficult since it is click-locked and the baseboards are also in place, so I cannot lift any edges.
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