insuti testing

[jim decker]

I have been approached to insert 225 probes in a new school in El Paso. I generally charge $90 a probe but in a job of this size what would normally be the going rate? I have done work for the flooring contractor with no problem but what do you all think. This would be a hugh job and I want to be fair but ....................

[CCR]

Depending how many you can place per day, I would charge $60 - 65 each. That's a very fair price. Much depends also on your mobilization/travel costs, whether or not it's open space, multiple floors, and how efficient your reporting format is structured. Alone, I can realistically place and document 25-30 per day.

On a job that size, I'd bring in another ICRI Certified Tester to help.

Good luck

[jim decker]

Thanks I was thinking along those lines. I am the only guy in El Paso or a 200 mile radius that does concrete testing it appears. I do testing for IFTI also.

[CC Solutions]

When someone approaches me for a quote on a large job and they are price shopping, I always have to reverse engineer my pricing to be sure they are getting their money's worth.

[jim decker]

Here in El Paso it is so dry most readings are 2% moisture content for wood 4.5% is allowed. No ground cover anywhere in crawl spaces. No ground cover under concrete. BUT once and a while an architect will mandate it and then they call me. IFTI gives me a half dozen jobs a year also.

[CC Solutions]

No vapor retarder under concrete can end up being a disaster. Especially in buildings that are dehumidified often.

It's always best to take the ground out of play no matter what the soil looks like.

[jim decker]

Oh, I know that I am originally from New Hampshire but in El Paso relative humidity 15% the last 3 months on average. When I drill through the concrete to determine slab thickness I have yet to see ground cover under concrete commercial or otherwise. Rainfall not sure but maybe 1 foot a year. Water from Rio Grande and real deep wells here.

[CC Solutions]

While ambient atmospheric relative humidity may be low in desert climes, I have been taught to always consider the RH of soil to be 100%.

Slabs can become very dry when exposed to these low relative humidities and ground moisture is usually not an issue until slabs without vapor retarders beneath them are covered with a less permeable or moisture-sensitive floor covering.

The floor covering can retard the vapor emission from the slab and moisture can accumulate. Suddenly a slab that has been bone dry for years has moisture problems!

When installing moisture sensitive flooring on a slab on grade always check the RH, and verify the presence of a functioning vapor retarder immediately beneath the concrete. This is a requirement of nearly all manufacturers of moisture sensitive flooring and adhesives.

[CCR]

Sound practice. Plain and simple.

[jim decker]

JD you are right regarding RH to MC comparatives there is no lineal direct correlations see pdf file attached. My bad!
  tramex.pdf (Size: 108.05 KB / Downloads: 5)