Warning: That job in the old Boise theater basement changed how I prep concrete

I took a job last fall to carpet the basement of a 1920s theater in downtown Boise. The manager said the floor was clean and ready. I pulled up the old tile and it looked fine, so I started laying pad. Two days later, the whole section near the back wall was damp and the pad was ruined. Turns out, moisture was wicking up through the slab from soil outside, something called rising damp. I lost a day's work and all the materials for that area. Now I test every single concrete subfloor with a moisture meter, even if it looks and feels bone dry. I don't care what the client says anymore. Has anyone else run into this kind of hidden moisture problem in an old building?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat7812mo agoMost Upvoted

Watched a buddy install hardwood in a renovated 1910s pharmacy. He skipped the moisture test because the owner swore the slab was sealed and dry. Had to rip everything out six months later when the boards cupped from the damp. He eats the cost of the meter test on every job now, no exceptions.

nelson.vera2mo ago

Hate seeing good work get wrecked like that.

the_brian2mo ago

Yeah that's rough. I learned the hard way too, now I just test everything even if it looks fine. Saves so much headache later.