Although both concrete and adhesives have changed over the years, the most probable answer to concrete adhesive failures today are Fast Track Construction and Adaptive Re-use.

 

Let's face it, buildings are constructed a lot faster than they used to be. Flooring is often installed over concrete that is not yet dry or before the HVAC System is operational, which can lead to problems later when the excess water vapor in the concrete is drawn upward by the dry conditioned air. Too often a decision to install floor coverings or coatings is based upon the simple demand to meet a schedule. If a concrete substrate has a moisture vapor emission level in excess of that which can be tolerated by the flooring material, the losses are rarely limited to the flooring itself. To compound an already costly situation, the need to vacate a floor after move-in, while repairs are made, can be extremely inconvenient and drive the cost of repairs even higher.

 

More often designers are changing older spaces that were once intended to be used for warehouses into shops, lofts and offices. This design is known as "adaptive re-use". These older buildings are frequently designed without a moisture vapor barrier due to no intended floor covering. Proactively testing the concrete prior to the installation of flooring may prevent the considerable losses attributed to moisture related floor covering failure.