Experiencing water damage on concrete floors in a home or a business property can be very frustrating. First, the owner needs to figure out where the leak originated, clean it up, repair it, and pay for all the damage. As concrete floors are the foundation to many rooms, this can be a costly repair for a homeowner.

If the damaged concrete floors were caused by a flood, the homeowner must take immediate measures to fix the problem. This means that they must call flood cleanup professionals right away so that proper actions can be taken. This means that they will dry and humidify the area properly, clean it up, and restore it to prevent any mold growth which can be a health risk.

Drying Methods for Wet Concrete Slab Floors

The following are the best steps to take when dealing with wet concrete floors:

Removal of standing water

If the leak is small enough, you can remove the water by absorbing it with towels or other materials that can soak up water. If the leak is large, a shop vac could be used to dry out the area.

Dehumidification

If there is a leak in your home or business, the first step to take is to dehumidify it. This helps to remove moisture from all surfaces and fully dry the space. It is crucially important not to miss this step if the concrete walls are wet.

A big issue with wet concrete is that it will not bond with water-based adhesives until it is fully dry. This means that the water-based adhesive will not cure well if they are used while the concrete is wet.  As moisture evaporates from concrete, the adhesive absorbs it. As the adhesive absorbs the moisture, it will not attach to the floor. Since the adhesive will not stick to one area, it will move. You can see an example of this when there are bubbles or blisters in certain types of flooring materials. Sometimes, for example, if after tiles are applied the adhesive leaks along the edges of the seams, this means that the concrete has not dried properly, and the floor was still installed.  Therefore, keep in mind that water-based adhesives are greatly effective, but only when used properly.

Removal of debris

If the concrete flooring has leftover debris on it, make sure to have it removed as it will prevent it from drying fully which can slow the process and cause complications during restoration.

Call the professionals

It is very important that the owners call a professional restoration company to ensure that the concrete walls are in fact dry and further restoration can be done in their home or business. These walls are what holds the property together, so it is essential that professionals ensure that your walls are not showing any cracks, swelling, or weakness that could endanger the structural integrity of your home. If called right away, a professional concrete drying company can evaluate the damage and help with drying and humidifying which will reduce your overall bill. Finally, they can tell you if the concrete is dry and ready to be built on again.

Equipment to Dry Concrete Slab Floors

Some of the equipment and methods used by professional water restoration companies include:

Containment chambers

They help to get rid of moisture from the concrete. This includes boxes or bubbles of plastic taped to the floor. By trapping the moisture from the concrete, a lower amount of humidity can be reached faster.

Thermo-hygrometers and non-evasive meters

These are used to check if the concrete has the correct humidity. If the reading is below 72%, then carpet or tile flooring can be installed. If the floors are wood, then the reading must be below 70%.

Low grain refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers

These devices are used for lowering the air temperature in a space that has a lot of moisture. This allows for the dehumidifier to get rid of moisture for the air that goes through it.

More drying

Additional drying can be done through air movement and removing the boundary layer from the surface of the concrete can also help with drying.

We may not be able to control when water damage will happen to concrete in our homes or businesses, but we can react as soon as it happens. If proper drying, clean up, humidification, and restoration are done, there should be no long-term damage. Reacting quickly alleviates the chance that there will be mold and mildew which can cause even further damage.

We’re available 24/7 for emergency water damage cleanup

If you’ve experienced water damage at your home or business, reach out to RestorationMaster. We can help you with your water damage restoration needs. We use state-of-the-art methods for water removal, drying, cleaning, and restoring your property. Call us today at  for more information.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.