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Cold slab seams in a church made me change my whole method
Last month I got a call to redo a 900 square foot sanctuary in Akron. The old carpet had been glued straight to the concrete slab, no pad at all. I used my usual hot melt tape, but the slab was so cold that the tape didn't grab right. Within two days, three seams lifted and I had to go back and reheat everything with a hair dryer trick. Now I always bring a portable heater and let the room sit at 70 degrees for an hour before I even cut tape. Has anyone else fought cold slab seams, or do you just use cold glue for that kind of job?
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finleyfox1mo ago
Hot melt tape on a cold slab is a classic rookie mistake, but the real issue is the humidity in the concrete. That cold pulls moisture up from the ground, and the tape just cant bond to a damp surface. Your heater trick helps the air, but it wont dry out the slab itself. What you need is a moisture meter and a primer before you even think about tape. If the reading is over 3 pounds, cold glue is a band-aid, not a fix. Ive seen guys use a propane torch for a quick heat, but that just pushes the moisture deeper. You gotta seal the slab first, let it cure, then your tape will stick on a warm floor.
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