Flooring Shrinks

@edgarblythe,

That's the part that had me puzzled, Edgar. But overall, if there is substantial ground moisture under the buildings where this is happening, maybe moisture is getting into the concrete, even on the second floor. Again flooding something with water and the movement of vapor are two different things.

Have you stuck a moisture meter onto, into the offending areas? Didn't you also say that it was concrete on top of a waferboard type material, let me check, ... yup, that's what you've got.

I remember Panzade talking how that stuff was like a sponge in the Florida area. Are you also in a high humidity area?

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We are in a high humidity area. But, a bit less so than most no-problem properties closer to the gulf.

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@edgarblythe,

Is the "waferboard" OSB board?

And has the concrete topping [I suspect it's a 1.5 to 2" topping, is it not?] been poured directly onto the 'waferboard' or is there a slip membrane between the two. If so, what's the slip membrane made of?

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None of the apartment complexes in Houston have that. I know, because I framed many of them myself, back in the boom days, including the year this complex was built. Yet, many of these apartments have tile installed by these same people and they have no such problem, according to information I have. We have had the vinyl squares from the beginning and still do, in half of the apartments and not one of those shrunk. The squares were replaced more than once, with no problems. I don't believe moisture is more of a problem for us than anyone else.

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OSB is commonly referred to as waferboard by construction people in our area.

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@edgarblythe,

More and more, from what you say, it seems like moisture is not the problem, Edgar. Has a moisture meter been applied to those areas. That'd pretty much cinch it.

Quote:

OSB is commonly referred to as waferboard by construction people in our area.

Fair enough. Just wanted to get on the same page.

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I have a moisture meter. I can put it on there tomorrow. I don't expect it to reveal anything. During some of these floor failures, we experienced one of the severest droughts in my memory, and we did not water enough around the buildings, in my judgement. I just don't believe the moisture theory. More likely, to me, product failure.

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@edgarblythe,

Edgar - while reading something very far removed from your kitchen in Houston >

Quote:

The need for alternative sources of energy is a military necessity....In Iraq and Afghanistan about 40% of fuel is used to run electricity generators. A successful quick-fix to reduce energy consumption was to coat military tents with a thick layer of commercial insulating foam, of the kind used for cavity walls in homes, covered with a sealant to protect it from ultraviolet light...

http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15048783&source=hptextfeature
> I thought the color of the tiles, since it's a contributing factor in relative damage between your floor and other apartments with the identical tiles, could only make a difference when exposed to sunlight - how sunny is your kitchen, and are your windows reflective or at least somewhat darker than the standard transparent kind? Do you have curtains or blinds? Ultraviolet radiation at your latitude can be pretty fierce.

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@High Seas,

Our apartments get relatively little sunlight, if any. We have PVC blinds - 2''

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@edgarblythe,

Scratch that thought, then.... not moisture, not ultraviolet radiation, not radon gas from the basement, AND the tiles (except for color) are exactly identical to tiles in dozens of other apartments with the selfsame cement floor? I can think of 2 people online who might know the cause of the damage: one is Blatham, the other is Farmerman - maybe there are others as well. Good luck Smile

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@High Seas,

There are no basements in Houston.

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@edgarblythe,

None? I used to work at the Pennzoil Tower (live at the Hyatt hotel closest to it) and never knew these high-rise buildings just stood there without foundations! Anyway, if you have any flowerpots on your terrace you know to blame the tile damage to the plants' CO2 causing global warming Smile

Quote:

America's ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY declared
that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, "threaten the
health and welfare of the American people".

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I can't state categorically the there are zero basements, just that they are not normal if there are any.

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@edgarblythe,

Oh. It's a home improvement thread. When I saw "Flooring shrinks" I thought it'd be about KOing psychiatrists.

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@edgarblythe,

I thought there were no basements in California until I bought an old house that had a big basement..

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@ossobuco,

Yeah, but I grew up in California and never saw a basement there, either.

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@edgarblythe,

edgarblythe wrote:

I can't state categorically the there are zero basements, just that they are not normal if there are any.

Second that, re: Houston and no basements. I knew a total of one family who had a basement, and it was a novelty; I was actually kind of blown away when I saw it for the first time.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

Some years back, I was there when a family arrived in Dallas at their new home. These New Yorkers ran all over the place trying to find a basement. He he.

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The problem is that the floors r too damned low.

Every year thay get lower n further out of reach.

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@OmSigDAVID,

They are no lower than my feet. Any more, I would be floating.

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Flooring Shrinks

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