Warning: a basement job in Tacoma taught me to always check for concrete moisture

I was laying a big roll of plush carpet in a finished basement last fall. The homeowner said the floor was dry and ready. I got about 400 square feet glued down before I saw a dark spot spreading under the seam. The concrete slab had a slow seep I missed because the surface felt fine. I had to cut out a 10 foot section right away. I ended up putting down a moisture barrier and redoing the whole area, which took an extra day. The client was okay about it, but I ate the cost of the new carpet pad. Has anyone else been burned by a slab that seemed dry but wasn't?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_schmidt1mo ago

Oh man, I went by feel like a total rookie. My moisture meter was sitting in the truck the whole time. Learned that lesson the hard way, cost me a whole afternoon and a case of beer to forget about it.

dylan_anderson1mo ago

Did you use a moisture meter or just go by feel?

finleythomas23m ago

The meter's great but honestly, feel is still king for the final check (just make sure your hands are clean and dry first, learned that one the hard way too).