Whether the installation is residential or commercial, laying flooring material on concrete slabs without testing the surface is akin to playing Russian Roulette with all the chambers in the gun loaded- plan for a failure sooner or later.

There are some basics you have to know to avoid problems. First, all concrete contains moisture whether it is above, on or below grade. No matter how old the concrete is you can still have a moisture issue. You cannot tell if the stuff is dry by looking at it, touching it or smelling it. If you cover the concrete with a non-permeable flooring material without testing the concrete you are asking for trouble.

Just because there was no problem with a previous flooring material over a concrete substrate does not mean you won't have an issue with the new floor covering. Even if you install a floor covering over an existing flooring material on a concrete slab where there was no problem before doesn't mean you won't have a problem now or in the future.

Reasons for failure

• If you test the slab incorrectly or if the environment is not controlled you are going to get false readings and risk the chance of the installation failing.

• The environment where the flooring is installed fluctuates. For instance, if the HVAC system cycles on and off at night and on the weekends, you will likely have an installation failure.

• If you Fast Track building and try to do the same thing with the floor covering installation over concrete chances are you will have a failure.

• If someone says it's OK to install without testing and without the proper conditions a floor covering installation failure may very well be in your future.

Words spoken do not change the laws of physics no matter how confident the speaker is. Science doesn't respond to the spoken word. Just because the installation is in a dry climate doesn't mean there won't be a flooring installation failure related to moisture.

If you don't heed the concrete and flooring industries' advice and guidelines for testing and installing chances are good you will have an installation failure. Just because you use a moisture control application doesn't mean you won't have a moisture related failure. If a moisture barrier membrane is not used under a new slab, chances are high there will be an installation failure.

If this information scares you-good, it's meant to. We are approaching epidemic levels of installation failures due to moisture and the cost is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The flooring wasted is in the hundreds of thousands of yards. The wasted energy and time to resolve these issues are incalculable.

Installation failures can be prevented but it's imperative you be proactive. Testing needs to be conducted properly- according to the International Concrete Repair Institute certification guidelines and flooring manufacturers' guidelines.

There is a great deal of conflicting information and beliefs about substrate moisture issues and floor covering installation failures, particularly in the commercial flooring arena.

Residential flooring installation is at risk, too. With changes in flooring materials, recycled content backing increasing, non-permeable materials' use increasing and everyone being in a hurry, the risks are greater than ever. Believe me, these are not problems you want to have. You will never lose more money than with a moisture related installation failure.

We can help. LGM has the industry's best moisture testing and installation failure experts to get you answers.