Determination of readiness for laying based on material moisture, corresponding relative humidity, and water release

Abstract

Abstract The moisture content of the subfloor has to be determined before installation to avoid damage to the floor covering. Only if readiness for layering is reached, can an installation without damage be expected in all cases. In general, three approaches exist to measure residual water content: determination of moisture content, determination of water release, or determination of the corresponding relative humidity. All three approaches are tested under laboratory conditions at eight screed types including two samples thicknesses in each case. Moisture content and water release are measured by sample weighing, the corresponding relative humidity is measured by embedded sensors. All three approaches are compared and correlated. The evaluations show only a weak correlation and, in several cases, contradicting results. Samples are considered ready for layering and not ready for layering at the same time, depending on the chosen approach. Due to these contradicting results, a general threshold for a risk of damage cannot be derived based on these measurements. Furthermore, the experiment demonstrates that the measurement of corresponding relative humidity is independent of the screed type or screed composition considered. This makes humidity measurement a potentially very promising approach for the installation of material moisture monitoring systems.