Topic: Hey Masonryman WTF?!?!?!?

[my78k]

Nah I'm not callng you out for some BS or anything...actually looking for some help forom you or someone who may know about concrete...

Long story short my double garage had one side that was finished with a woden floor over the concrete and insulated walls etc so the previous owner could have snakes (or "something") I wanted to return the garage back into a proper double so I could have more bike storage/work space etc...Anyways I tore out the wall and then the floor. Basically the floor was a layer of vapour barrier then 2 inches of styrofoam, another layer of vapour barrier and then 3/4 inch plywood and then carpeted. I tore all of this out a couple of days ago and although it smelled musty it wasn't too bad (considering the dude obviously had mouse issues troughout this house).


Well my wife calls me at work today and asks if I sprayed the floor with something since there was a whitish powder all over the floor...

Wel I get home and my dad had already scraped it up (apparently he can't just come over for dinner w/o doing some chores 

Anyways, while I was out there I swept up again and it was already reforming onthe floor.

What I am looking for is thoughts as to what it could be? At first I suspected mould or whatever but if that was the case one would assume it would have formed when it was sealed and moisture was trapped not now that it has been uncovered (there were no signs of mould or nything anywhere when I first removed it).

Could it be the concrete couldn't "breathe" before and now it is sort of weeping or whatever the right term would be?

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Dennis

[texaninseattle]

It certainly sounds like efflorescence. It is formed when water soluable salts from the concrete are carried to the surface and are deposited and build up when the capillary moisture evaporates.

---not from my brain

edit:
from here http://forum.doityourself.com/humidifiers-dehumidifiers/229595-moisture-through-concrete-floor-finished-basement.html

[Duke McDukiedook]

Yep, concrete is pourous, salts and different mineral left behind from the evaporation of water at the surface of the concrete.

You can seal it or paint it to create a moisture barrier so it hopefully doesn't do this.

Could also be condensation mixing with dust/dirt.

[my78k]

Thanks guys! That makes me feel better....

Actually the guy had sealed it with some sort of paint or thin epoxy tyoe stuff but it peeled in chunks almost immediately after I uncovered it.

Maybe I should look into some of those white/black checkerboard tiles like Seaweb has in his killer man cave!

Dennis

[GoatBaSS]

Good advise. What I have seen when we have had to fix what others have done, mix, curing time, and the proper environment have all been factors to the the dust you are seeing. A good mop down and stripping (xylol !do not smoke!, or bravo) and let it dry. We have wet sanded, uses the green scotch brt pads, heavy brushes, etc. and then sealed the concrete. But you do have options on staining the floor after cleaning and we have done some cool floors counter tops etc. look @ cementry.com and it has some ideas. We would spray, brush or mop it on and after a day seal it. It is a great option that costs less ( mop heads back work) and looks custom in the app if you would rather be a bit different. Less time than the layin' o the tile sometimes.

[goon 1492]

Plus 1 on that, look what I did to my dining room after I figured out that part of it was a garage back in the 60's. It had some spalting so I chisled it out and inlaid some slate tiles, then proceeded to stain it by hand, the sprayer didn't lay it out like I wanted so I went back an patted it in places to make it splochy. I did this also to help make it look rustic like an old factory floor that had slate tile and someone covered it over and over the years some of the tile showded through after the surface popped back off.

I used to do concrete flat work, stampings, incasing safes, driveways by the dozen along with garages and basements all in the same day kinda stuff. Don't take a break until you see god kinda stuff, makes you old fast so I got out after 5 yrs, did many demonstrations with my boss at penn valley college here in KC for architects and contractors that were in classes on construction, werd pouring concrete in a class room and finishing it infront of 50+ people that have never seen wet mud in person in their lives.
You should see the Venetian plaster I did on the walls, looks kewl but I won't ever do it again, takes burnishing a basement floor to a whole new level of pain...

[my78k]

So Goon, jump on the bike and I will buy the beers while we re-finish the garage floor together! Sounds like a plan right??

Really I'd pay ya but then you'd need a work visa blah blah blah....yeah that's why I would pay you in beer! 

Dennis

[goon 1492]

Oh man if I could get away from the wife and kids...

[my78k]

Well if you could then I wouldn't actually suggest coming to my place...who wants to trade one wife and kids for another set after all! Especially when you can ride to Vegas or Tijuana instead!

Dennis

[masonryman]

How the hell did I miss this

[my78k]

lol...no worries! The gents here helped me out....looks like they were right too!

Dennis