This article summarizes a Moisture Mitigation project at an office building in Chicago Illinois by PSI Inc.
PSI Inc. is a concrete flooring contractor specializing in commercial moisture mitigation, self leveling concrete, epoxy coatings and concrete polishing.
Many of their projects are for hospitals and health care facilities, retail, restaurant and office space.
They are a fully bonded contractor providing warranties for their projects nationwide.
The details below are one of their projects in Chicago Illinois.
Moisture Mitigation and Self Leveling Underlayments – Project Details
- Contractor – PSI Inc. operates offices in Illinois and Florida. Nationwide contractor. View contact information for PSI Americas here.
- Project – The Rehabilitation Institute Of Chicago
- Building Type – 27 Story, 480 foot tall building- For full details, Click Here.
- Location – Downtown Chicago, Illinois
- Project Size – 450,000 Square Feet
- Time to Complete – 20,000 SF per week, ongoing
- Project Scope – Fast Track Construction, provide moisture mitigation and self leveling underlayment for tile or carpet flooring
- Solution – Surface prep starts with shotblasting followed by crack repair, primer coating and self leveling concrete
- Products Used – Mapei Planiseal (epoxy moisture sealer), Mapei Eco Prim Grip (primer for self leveling), Mapei Novoplan 1 Self Leveling Underlayment with Mapei 100% RH Lifetime Warranty
Why Moisture Mitigation is Important For New Concrete
As mentioned above, this is a Fast Track Construction project. This method commences construction before the overall design is complete. This is different than a typical Design/Build project where the entire scope and plans are complete then put out for the bid.
In this project, every day the facility is not open costs money.
When new concrete slabs are poured, they can take 1-2 years before the moisture evaporates and new flooring like tile or carpet can be installed without issues.
The system PSI installs, caps the moisture with Mapei Planiseal first. Then a primer coat is applied followed by self leveling concrete underlayment. This system allows for project to keep moving. Once complete, the carpet and tile installers can proceed on schedule without delay.
Moisture Mitigation Products Used
Shotblasting – Step 1 of the project starts with shot blasting. If not familiar with this process take a look at the video below. This process uses equipment that shoots tiny ball bearings at the surface of concrete. Effectively, you have a fresh new surface. It opens up the pores and creates additional surface area for the moisture mitigation coating increasing adhesion.
Mapei Planiseal – Mapei is one of the leading manufacturers of concrete products. Planiseal is designed to treat slabs with moisture vapor emission rates of up to 8lbs per 1,000 SF. It is applied with ¼ inch nap rollers. For More Details Click FastTrack Ready™
Mapei Eco Prim Grip – This is a resin based primer. Ideal for increasing the bonding of self leveling concrete underlayments. It has a low odor, applies by roller, Low VOC’s. View Spec Sheet. Click Here
Mapei Novoplan 1 – This is a self leveling cement system for use as an underlayment for tile, carpet or other flooring systems. PSI Americas typically applies at a thickness of 3/16 inch. For full details. Click Here.
PSI Americas Located in Chicago Illinois and Florida
PSI Americas specializes in large, commercial concrete floor moisture mitigation, epoxy and resin coating applications and concrete polishing.