Slab Moisture Testing • Jacksonville, FL
Most Jacksonville homes sit on a concrete slab, and a slab that looks dry can still be pushing moisture up into the floor above it. Braga Remodeling checks slab moisture before new flooring is installed so the floor is chosen and prepared for the conditions it will actually live on.
Liability insured · Jacksonville, FL
5.0 · 51 Google reviewsMoisture problems rarely show on installation day. They show months later as lifting planks, cloudy adhesive or a musty smell. Testing first is the inexpensive part.
Overview
Concrete is porous. Moisture in the ground under a house moves up through the slab as vapor, and in Northeast Florida there is plenty of it: a high water table, heavy summer rain, irrigation running against the foundation and, in older homes, a vapor barrier under the slab that is thin, damaged or missing. With bare concrete or old carpet that vapor escapes into the room. Cover the slab with a floor that does not breathe and it has nowhere to go.
That trapped moisture is behind many of the flooring failures we are called to look at. Glue-down floors let go because the adhesive breaks down. Laminate and wood-based floors cup or swell at the edges. Floating floors hide damp underlayment where mold and odor can develop. Even with waterproof vinyl plank, the plank surviving does not mean the space under it is healthy.
Testing tells us how much moisture the slab is giving off, and that number is compared with the limit set by the flooring or adhesive manufacturer. It is one part of proper floor preparation in Jacksonville, alongside flatness and cleaning, and it shapes the rest of the job: which product, which underlayment or adhesive, and whether the slab needs treatment first.
Tested, not guessed
A dry-looking slab can still fail
Compared to the product limit
Manufacturer requirements checked
Plain-language results
What the reading means for your floor
Options in writing
Mitigation priced before you commit
What's Included
We start by looking: dark patches, white powdery deposits, old adhesive that has turned soft, and readings from a surface moisture meter to find areas worth a closer test.
A measured dish of calcium chloride is sealed under a dome on clean, bare concrete for a set period, usually a few days. The weight it gains shows how much vapor the slab surface is releasing.
Small holes are drilled part-way into the slab and sensors are set inside. After the probes settle, they read the humidity within the concrete, which shows what the floor will see once the slab is covered.
Readings are compared with what your flooring or adhesive manufacturer allows. You get a clear answer: proceed as planned, change the product or underlayment, or treat the slab first.
Our Process
During the measurement we check the slab, the rooms against exterior walls and anything outside that could be feeding moisture, such as grading or sprinklers.
Tests need bare, clean concrete, so a section of old flooring and adhesive is removed where the readings will be taken.
The test suited to your floor is set up with the air conditioning running normally, since the house needs to be at living conditions for the reading to mean anything.
We compare the readings with the requirements of the flooring you chose and tell you whether the slab is within limits.
If moisture is high, the fix is agreed in writing first: a moisture barrier, a different adhesive, a slab treatment or a different floor.
With moisture dealt with, the slab is flattened and cleaned and the new floor is installed.
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Google Reviews
“I had a great experience with this construction company. They were honest, reliable, and did exactly what they promised. The team was professional, hardworking, and paid attention to every detail.”
“We had an overall wonderful experience with Braga Remodeling. They were responsible, professional and communicated well throughout the process.”
“Excellent service and outstanding workmanship! The crew was punctual, respectful, and very knowledgeable throughout the entire project.”
Tell us what is on the slab now and what you want installed. We will check the concrete at the measurement and put the Braga Remodeling scope in writing. Prefer to talk? Call (904) 520-1994 or email braga@bragaremodeling.com.
Call (904) 520-1994