Moisture Testing

---

Wet screed is the one of biggest issues in floor covering failures. Excessive moisture in the screed can lead to various issues such as adhesive failure, warping, or mould growth in the flooring material. Moisture readings help ensure that the screed is within the acceptable range for the chosen flooring material. Floor coverings are one of the most expensive features in your home after kitchens and bathrooms therefore the preparation to ensure issues do not arise is imperative. Moisture testing can give you peace of mind that your screed is ready to receive its covering. 

Conventional moisture tests typically involve placing a single hygrometer box randomly within a room, without a clear indication of where the floor may have its highest moisture content. This specially designed sealed box is recommended to be firmly attached to the surface of the screed using butyl tape, as opposed to silicone, which can affect relative humidity (RH) readings. According to British Standards, the initial reading should be taken after four hours, and equilibrium may be assumed when consecutive readings taken at four-hour intervals show no change.

However, in practice, this testing method is often not carried out correctly, leading to inaccurate readings that could adversely affect floor coverings. For instance, many testers fail to leave the box in place for a sufficient duration, and it's uncommon for anyone to check readings twice at four-hour intervals. The rationale behind taking subsequent readings four hours apart is to ensure that the recorded reading is captured during a period of equilibrium. Even a slight change in ambient temperature can significantly impact the readings, disrupting the delicate equilibrium inside the box and causing the RH reading to fluctuate accordingly. This temperature fluctuation can lead to an unexpected spike in RH as equilibrium is disturbed, with stability only resuming approximately three to four hours later.

As a result of these challenges, users of this testing method may encounter readings that vary throughout the day, causing additional uncertainty about the accuracy of the measurements.

SDL, on the other hand, can eliminate this uncertainty through the utilization of cutting-edge technology. Using this technology SDL are able to provide non-invasive quantitative Carbide method equivalent readings as per the ASTM F2659 guidelines. With this information we are then able to create a moisture map which will give us an outline of the moisture content of the floor in its entirety. This map enable us to select targeted areas of concern for further testing using the most advanced RH probes which comply with the British Standard guidelines BS 5325, BS 8201 and BS 8203.

By employing our RH probes and dataloggers, SDL can continuously monitor temperature and humidity readings throughout the entire testing process. This method provides clear indication of when equilibrium was reached and accurately identifies the correct reading at the designated time. Our kits facilitate the monitoring of atmospheric RH and temperature, which are then utilized to compute the true RH level of the screed. This comprehensive test spans over a 24-hour period, with readings recorded every 30 minutes, resulting in significantly more precise results.