L
10

Warning: a basement job in Tacoma taught me to always check for concrete moisture

I was laying a big roll of plush carpet in a finished basement last fall. The homeowner said the floor was dry and ready. I got about 400 square feet glued down before I saw a dark spot spreading under the seam. The concrete slab had a slow seep I missed because the surface felt fine. I had to cut out a 10 foot section right away. I ended up putting down a moisture barrier and redoing the whole area, which took an extra day. The client was okay about it, but I ate the cost of the new carpet pad. Has anyone else been burned by a slab that seemed dry but wasn't?
2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
2 Comments
ivan_schmidt
Oh man, I went by feel like a total rookie. My moisture meter was sitting in the truck the whole time. Learned that lesson the hard way, cost me a whole afternoon and a case of beer to forget about it.
6
dylan_anderson
Did you use a moisture meter or just go by feel?
2