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For resilient flooring placed on concrete slabs on grade, moisture may cause problems, including delamination of vinyl and re-emulsification of adhesives. This is indisputable.

What is disputed is the source of the water. And as I pointed out in Part 1 of this column (see April/May 2009 Concrete Contractor), attorneys involved in "defect litigation" increasingly rely on standards developed by the flooring industry to lay the blame on concrete slabs and those involved in the design, production and installation of concrete.

Over the years, the flooring industry has written standards, particularly ASTM F710, which appears to make the concrete industry at large responsible and accountable for flooring problems, even though these flooring standards are largely inaccurate and, presumably, irrelevant to the concrete industry.

Ironically, there is more water applied in cleaning resilient flooring than could ever emanate from the concrete slab. Moreover, not all flooring discoloration is caused by moisture. Other major causes of flooring damage include poor surface preparation and installation; debris left on the slab surface; wear and tear; and improper adhesives or their application. Concrete that meets the project's material specifications is satisfactory, considering its long and successful history.

There are few projects in which moisture rising through the slab damages resilient flooring, though it's often alleged in defect litigation.