Wasted $400 on a glue-down job that failed in 6 months

I tried to save time on a big commercial install in a local office building by skipping the moisture test on the concrete slab. The manufacturer said the glue was fine for most pours but I should've checked. Six months later the seams started lifting and the whole floor had to be pulled up. Lost half the material and had to redo it for free to keep the contract. Cost me about $400 in wasted glue and backing plus a weekend of my time. Anyone else get burned by skipping the prep work on a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_hill461mo ago

Did you check the concrete's temperature when you laid it down? Not just the room temp but the actual slab temp. I've seen glue jobs fail because the concrete was too cold or too warm when they rolled it out... even if the moisture was fine. That $400 could have been about that too, not just skipping the test. A lot of guys don't realize the slab acts like a heat sink and can mess with the cure time. Next time grab a cheap IR gun and check it in a few spots before you start. Could save you a headache.

alice1211mo ago

Ha, you know what, I actually bought an IR gun last year and totally forgot I owned it until you just said that! I keep it in the truck for checking brake temps on my car and never once thought about pointing it at a slab before glue. That's on me. But your point about the heat sink thing is real - I poured a garage floor once in January and the concrete felt like a block of ice even though the room "felt fine." Glue never set right, had to rip up a corner three weeks later. Should've just pulled out that plastic toy I call a thermometer!