Concrete / Discussions

...Concrete Forms construction a new thing or do they have a long history and do they meet code? We'd never heard of ICFs before and wondered if it was just an up-sell and whether it is worth considering. Thanks! In my considered opinion, ICF construction is perfect for building a basement. ICF blocks are quickly stacked,...

I live in the tropics and my west walls absorb too much heat, poor building design. I live in a condo and would like to put something on the walls inside to keep the heat mostly outside. There are not a lot of passive heating and cooling solutions that we can recommend once the house is already built unfortunately. The...

...concrete radiant floor system for a new build in Quebec. The contractor will build a floating slab with footings. The contractor is suggesting 2 inches of insulation and 3 inches of concrete, which seems too little base on what I have read. What do you recommend the thickness to be for the insulation and the concrete f...

...concrete was left exposed with the sil plate.  I'm thinking of taking Rigid board and installing it against the concrete wall and will plate to hopefully help with preventing dampness and further heat loss. Is this recommended? Do I need to put a protective barrier over the rigid board, or will leaving it exposed once ...

...concrete we suggest removing is just the floor, and is only about 3-4 inches thick of concrete so it is not that difficult to smash and remove. There is no structural risk because the weight of the house sits on the footing under the concrete wall.  We can’t really council you on doing work without a permit, and that w...

...concrete located in Nova Scotia. The walls are about 8" thick solid poured concrete on the ground floor, and 4" on the second floor. Both stories have had an exterior skin added by applying bi-sected hollow blocks which gives a few inches of air gap. Interior was plaster and lathe, then strapping and gyproc was added. ...

...concrete can move right through it, as long as it is not stopped by an interior vapor barrier. That is also why you should never put an interior vapor barrier on basement walls, since the source of moisture that could damage the walls is not humidity in the interior air, it is moisture from the ground and concrete. The...

...concrete slabs as of now) . What would be the best alternate for Epoxy  - 1) Looks 2) anti slippery 3) economy 4) durability .Thank you A great alternative to Epoxy for a concrete floor sealer that is non-toxic and durable would be silicate densifier sealers, see more here –  How to seal and polish concrete floors with...

...concrete slab for new flooring  with regards to both radon mitigation and the material health - low VOCs. The basement is from a 2012 build -- the slab is 4” concrete on top of 5” granular fill. I currently have carpet on top of this which I will be removing. I am looking to replace the carpet with an enviro and import...

...concrete wicking moisture' and 'water leaks'. Also wondering if perhaps this is a new construction or existing, as an 'admix' would be added to the concrete before it is poured. With more details  we would be happy to help.

...concrete piers. The cottage crawlspace is uneven ranging from 30-36 inches. Exterior of crawlspace surrounded by pressure treated plywood skirting which has multiple vents. The dirt floor is well covered with heavy guage plastic. There is pink batt insulation between joists. The cottage crawlspace is divided in half by...

...concrete floor that looks nice. The concrete was poured 8 months ago, and we are noticing some divots. We live on a remote island with no specific concrete flooring experts, and I'm having trouble locating a large diamond grinder.  Are the divots in the concrete the reason for you wanting a diamond grinder? If the slab...

...concrete wall and 4' knee wall built with 2x6 and batt insulation r22. Should I run rigid insulation inside the foundation wall up the concrete and cover the knee wall as well? If so what product makes the most sense? Basements are more susceptible to moisture and water damage, so you should keep that in mind when choo...

...concrete foundations. They are not nearly as strong since it is only the mortar between blocks that holds them together, so freezing can cause problems. We’ve yet to see one that really knocked it out of the park in terms of durability and moisture management, so chances are yours has no exterior membrane, is that corr...

...concrete has sufficiently dried or if the concrete is not well-sealed from the ground it will absorb moisture over time and possibly cause problems, meaning they may start to bubble and flake over time. They will likely have toxins in them as well (though no worse than many other sealants and finishes), so they can als...