What should I know about the pH in water and vinyl flooring?

Urban Surfaces flooring products are engineered to be waterproof. To achieve this status, our flooring materials undergo testing. For example, during production, observers weigh and measure the flooring material and place it in a container of pH-neutral water. After removing it, observers measure and weigh the flooring again, looking for any changes. Tests like this show the flooring material remains the same and does not absorb moisture.

What is pH?

This is a scale from 1 to 14 that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a liquid. Distilled water sits in the middle of the scale, showing a neutral pH of 7. An acid has a pH below 7, and anything with a pH above 7 is an alkali or base. Vinegar is very acidic. It has a pH of about 2.

Damage Caused by pH Water

Again, Urban Surfaces flooring products are waterproof. However, cleaning vinyl flooring with substances that are too acidic can damage and dull the finish. (Quick Tip: To restore the shine of vinyl flooring, use Urban Surfaces’ 3555 Clear Coat Floor Wax.) A flood from above (or a slab leak from below) often changes the pH of a cured concrete slab, causing flooring material to break down. You should test the concrete subfloor to determine the pH level and alkalinity before installation. It’s important. Any pH level below 5 or above 9 can cause the adhesive to fail and break down the flooring, weakening its integrity. Over time, a highly acidic environment destroys flooring material. If the presence of water has distorted the shape of our flooring planks, extreme pH levels were the cause of failure.

Why Treat the Concrete Subfloor?

Installing waterproof flooring never makes a room waterproof. Only the flooring material is waterproof. That’s why, before you install any flooring, you should get rid of moisture from the slab below or from above. You’ll protect your flooring installation and likely avoid costly repairs in the future.

Urban Surfaces has several different adhesives and subfloor coatings that can protect flooring by increasing RH (relative humidity) tolerance, increasing pH tolerance, and protecting against alkali attack.