View Full Version : Does wood floor sweat
elaynec123
Sep 3, 2008, 10:36 AM
Have a wood flooring ,had to pull it up as we had a strong smell, found the floor wet to touch under the plastic, but we also had rain or pool water coming in through the wood floor from outside on 2 floorwalls. At the moment I'm drying the room I have all the wood up will cork around the room to keep water from re entering the frame home, now do you think it's a good idea to put this beautiful wood floor back down? Do you think the water under the wood floor was from the outside or do wood floors tend to sweat a lot, due to being laid on plastic? Live in Florida!
ballengerb1
Sep 3, 2008, 10:53 AM
You can't put that flooring down for a long time and we must find the source of the moisture. The wood will need to dry for at least a week, difficult in Fl this time of the year. The wood floor does not sewat but your slab might, you could even have a water supply leak under the floor. Where d you want to start?
albinfla
Sep 3, 2008, 03:43 PM
Yes that is correct. Your slab probably had no plastic underneath of it when it was poured. The moisture coming up is probably ground water due to all of the rain we have had here in FL. But, it very well could be a water pipe leak under the slab. Or, it could be just accumulated moisture from the wall seepage.
Did you get the wall seepage stopped?
How old is the house?
What type of pipes do you have?
Al
damagecase
Sep 4, 2008, 04:04 PM
Caulking(I'm assuming that's what you meant by "cork") the perimeter off the effected room will only provide you with minimal protection against future flooding.To address that problem correctly you must provide adequate drainage away from your home,ie: rain gutters,grade landscaping away from your home,etc... Also make sure if your house has a stucco finish that any landscaping that comes in contact with the stucco remains below the weep screed which is at the bottom of the stucco at the footings.Covering the weep screed prevents proper drainage at the exterior wall.With the exception of your sewer connection most if not all of your plumbing is located in the walls not the floor so a leak under or within the concrete is unlikely,however concrete is porous and if a moisture barrier wasn't installed or was installed incorrectly between the sand and the concrete you may be experiencing hydrostatic pressure which is a term used to describe the moisture a slab draws from beneath and later emits on it's surface.A calcium chloride test will accurately determine hydrostatic pressure.If the hydrostatic pressure is above 5-7 pounds per square inch ceramic tile is your best bet as it will allow the moisture to pass through it w/o causing damage to the floor.Also are you sure you have a wood floor and not a laminate floor? If and when you reinstall the wood flooring be sure to overlap the plastic under it thoroughly and run it up the walls 2-3 inches,your baseboards will hide that and it is the proper way to install the plastic prior to installation of the wood.My email is
[email protected] if you would care to contact me directly.I was a hardwood installer for 15 years and I would be glad o help you
arte_harpman
Jul 6, 2012, 07:24 PM
I have a leaking Joice from a main (Floor) beam and back about 2'. Makes no sense, this is the second time in two years and it has not rained a lot. I live in the Adirondaks and a Building inspector told my wife this normal for Humidity to look like it leaks from the wood. But it is the same place as it was two years ago!
It is also 16" fro the outside wall. I think it may be leaking from the roof, I dried it and I am hoping to find it. But, is it possible this inspector was right? or was he full of it and maybe in "BED" with the seller when we bought the house.