Our basement floor was quite wet during our last inspection. We have now seen that the basement floor has been insulated. I lifted the top layer of foil; underneath is polystyrene, and at the very bottom, there is a black foil. Below that, the concrete floor was wet. Is it still possible for the water to evaporate or dry out?
The screed will probably be installed this week or next.
The screed will probably be installed this week or next.
Hello "Messjogi",
I only saw your request today, so please excuse the delayed response. How did you determine the moisture as described ("quite wet")? Moisture can only be checked or measured; you can’t make reliable judgments based solely on intuition.
If you describe finding a black sheet below the insulation layer, that cannot be a waterproof membrane, since you wouldn’t have been able to see the "wet" concrete otherwise. It was probably a protective sheet, functioning as a vapor retarder, to somewhat protect the thermal insulation from moisture.
If moisture were to penetrate the insulation layer (which is the scenario you described), the thermal insulation would not be able to perform its function properly or would only do so to a limited extent.
If the moisture beneath the black sheet comes from the (fresh?) concrete, it is harmless as long as it remains where it is. Experience shows that, especially with dense concrete components, the remaining (not fully hydrated) cement particles will react with the free water over the next few years, so a form of “drying” will still take place beneath the black sheet in a figurative sense.
My suggestion is this: take some photos of the construction, especially of the sheet layer beneath the insulation, and if possible, some images showing the sheet’s thickness (e.g., folded sheet).
Otherwise, the architect’s planning should provide sufficient certainty when assessing the necessary measures. As I often say, “Don’t worry unnecessarily.” Or put differently: try to trust the planner a bit more!
Best regards, KlaRa
I only saw your request today, so please excuse the delayed response. How did you determine the moisture as described ("quite wet")? Moisture can only be checked or measured; you can’t make reliable judgments based solely on intuition.
If you describe finding a black sheet below the insulation layer, that cannot be a waterproof membrane, since you wouldn’t have been able to see the "wet" concrete otherwise. It was probably a protective sheet, functioning as a vapor retarder, to somewhat protect the thermal insulation from moisture.
If moisture were to penetrate the insulation layer (which is the scenario you described), the thermal insulation would not be able to perform its function properly or would only do so to a limited extent.
If the moisture beneath the black sheet comes from the (fresh?) concrete, it is harmless as long as it remains where it is. Experience shows that, especially with dense concrete components, the remaining (not fully hydrated) cement particles will react with the free water over the next few years, so a form of “drying” will still take place beneath the black sheet in a figurative sense.
My suggestion is this: take some photos of the construction, especially of the sheet layer beneath the insulation, and if possible, some images showing the sheet’s thickness (e.g., folded sheet).
Otherwise, the architect’s planning should provide sufficient certainty when assessing the necessary measures. As I often say, “Don’t worry unnecessarily.” Or put differently: try to trust the planner a bit more!
Best regards, KlaRa
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