Asthma Friendly Flooring

In our service area many businesses have damp floors (sweating slab syndrome) and many other buildings are plagued by moisture vapor transmission through the concrete floor slab. This moisture can contribute significantly to indoor air pollution if left unchecked. If you are contending with a concrete floor that is damp, there are solutions.

Titus is a concrete restoration contractor. We offer treated and polished concrete floors or dyed and polished concrete floors as a healthy solution for damp, moldy, mildewed, musty carpets or floor covering. If you suffer from asthma, then polished concrete floors may simply be the best floor finish for a concrete floor in the southeast. Especially in Florida which is plagued by sandy soil, high water tables, and moisture vapor problems in concrete slabs. Read on because we want to provide you with some basic information to help you make better decisions and explain things to look for in other floor finishes.

First of all, it helps to understand some of the basics. Florida is known for its sandy soils, high water tables, and warm, humid climate...along with the need for air conditioned interior spaces. Given these facts, the following are the dynamics: 

Moisture Drive / High PH / Flooring Failure
Moisture vapor transmission through a concrete slabs, especially in Florida, happens by just turning on the air conditioner. The air conditioner dries the ambient atmosphere. With cool dry air inside, moisture migrates through the concrete to equalize the amount of moisture below the slab. The movement of this moisture through the concrete carries salts from the concrete. These salts formed on the surface are called efflorescence.

In the event there is hardwood installed over the concrete slab and the slab is emitting too much moisture it could swell and buckle. Any hard surface floor applied with mastic is in jeopardy due to the high pH which will deteriorate the mastic. Painted concrete floors also fail either due to saponification caused by efflorescence or by lifting caused by hydrostatic pressure.

In the event there is carpet installed over the concrete slab and the slab is emitting too much moisture it causes mold or mildew. Any carpet applied with mastic (such as commercial carpeting or carpet squares) is also in jeopardy due to the high pH deteriorating the mastic.

In today’s residential building trends, it is typical that interior spaces are air conditioned. Combine the drier air of air conditioning and the high water table with the sandy soils of Florida and the result is that the air conditioning is actually causing more moisture vapor to pass through the concrete slab and back into the house. The moisture vapor passes through the slab and so do more salts from the concrete, leading to more efflorescence, more moisture in the carpet, and higher utility bills from the air conditioning trying to remove it! So how do you put an end to this circuitous process where the air conditioning system creates more work for itself? 

Treating Sweating Slab Syndrome with Epoxies
We have two (2) answers. One (1) is to seal the floor with a moisture blocking epoxy. This typically requires steel shot blasting of the concrete slab followed by multiple coats of moisture tolerant epoxy coating. Many such systems exist today and offer protection of up to 25 pounds per square foot of moisture vapor transmission. These coatings can then be covered with cementitious overlays, tile, hardwoods, or practically any other floor material. Answer two (2) is to treat the concrete with a lithium silicate process and if a decorative finish is desired, then polish the concrete. This is by far the most economical and better solution. 

Chemically Treating Sweating Slab Syndrome with A Lithium Silicate 
Titus is an approved applicator for a lithium silicate system designed to stop sweating slab syndrome. This system consists of grinding o expose bare concrete, applying a cleaner and neutralizing chemical, applying an alkalinity chemical, and applying a lithium silicate. This treatment has been successful in over 2 million square feet of warehouse space in the southeast.

Polished Concrete Flooring is Asthma Friendly
Polishing concrete floors works like water repellent fabrics (Gortex®). The substrate remains breathable but the top portion of the slab is denser and moisture vapor is greatly reduced and passes through it more slowly. Treated and polished concrete eliminates the moldy, mildewy smell associated with other floor finishes in damp areas. When you use treated and polished concrete there is no coating or other hard surface flooring to fail. Many who have asthma or other respiratory illnesses also prefer polished concrete floors to other hard surface flooring as they are easier to clean and keep dust free. 

We, at Titus, believe that treating the slab with lithium silicate polished concrete floors are the best floor finish for asthma sufferers (or someone suffering from allergies or other respiratory illnesses). Polished concrete is an asthma friendly floor.


Contact Us in Atlanta

Titus Restoration is a polished concrete contractor serving the southeastern United States ( U.S. ). Call us 888-569-3914 for all your concrete polishing needs. Also call us for  Polished Concrete, MMA and Epoxy Floor Coatings, Blastrac Steel Shot Blasting, Vinyl Tile Removal, Quarry Tile Removal, Mastic Removal, Topping and Membrane Removal, Silicate Densifiers, and Commercial and Industrial Painting.