3 Ways to Make Your Flooring Business More Profitable

You care about your flooring business. You want it to succeed. No one could look at your business and think, “They’re not even trying.” But they might look at it and think, “They’re trying to be profitable, just not in the right way.”

Wouldn’t that be tragic?

Just imagine the pity that would follow. And you don’t have time for pity. What you want is respect and admiration. You’d rather people think, “Wow, they really do the best for their business. What an inspiration!”

But how do you get to that?

These three, simple ways will get the profit ball rolling for your flooring business.

1. Use an accurate in-situ RH sensor for testing

If you’re using any testing method other than the in-situ relative humidity (RH) method to assess the moisture condition of the concrete slab, then you’re already losing money right there. The best thing for your business? Switch to an RH testing method ASAP.

And here’s why:

Other common testing methods—like the calcium chloride test—only test moisture at the surface. This is problematic because moisture evaporates through the surface of the slab, meaning the surface will have less moisture than deeper in the concrete.

Later on, after the installation of the flooring product, your slab’s remaining moisture will equilibrate. The moisture that was on the surface will have evaporated, and the new moisture condition of the slab will be a more accurate picture of what the floor will “see” for the long term.

The reliable moisture level you need to know is found at 40% depth of the concrete slab (or 20% if the slab is drying from two sides). And the only way to get that accurate measurement at 40% depth is by using an in-situ RH sensor that fits snugly into a pre-drilled hole in the concrete.

Any other test may give back readings that are inaccurate and unreliable—and even more, they may take you way longer to get those readings than necessary. All in all, a huge money pit.

Save time and money right out the gate with an in-situ RH test.

2. Monitor your job site RH and temperature 24/7

First off, that sounds like a lot of work, but it’s easier than you think—promise! These days, we know the answer to 24/7 surveillance is technology; specifically, a data logger.

But why is it even important to monitor the situation?

Well, acclimation is a huge part of any flooring job. According to the ASTM F2170 standard for RH concrete moisture testing, the building must be at or near “service conditions” for relative humidity (RH) and temperature. This means the building is already enclosed and has a running HVAC system. And then it must stay at service conditions for at least 48 hours before and 24 hours during the RH testing.

So, for 72 hours straight, your job site needs to be monitored. If you skip this step or don’t have proper documentation of monitoring, you could be looking at a hefty lawsuit.

Why worry about all that when you could just invest in a data logger?

A data logger monitors your job site for you by capturing and recording the RH and temperature levels over a specific period of time. That way, not only are you protecting your job, but you’re ensuring that you know when your floor is ready for the next step.

An investment like that speaks for itself as far as profitability, don’t you think?

3. Save labor costs without cutting corners

Seems like a catch-22 doesn’t it? Well, it’s not.

What’s one of the biggest expenses of your business? Labor costs. Exactly! Paying for people’s time is expensive. But when you use the Rapid RH testing kit from Wagner Meters, the job time for concrete moisture testing is cut in half.

Usually, a claim like that comes with some sketchy, underwhelming, underperforming solution. Not this one.

The Rapid RH L6 test saves you time without compromising your integrity.

Scientific evidence from Lund University in Sweden points to the in-situ RH method, and the best RH kit on the market is the Rapid® RH L6. By using researched and trusted technology, the Rapid RH test provides a verifiable audit trail of moisture measurements and related data.

When it’s synced with the app, the Rapid RH system quickly gives all those involved—the general contractor and other stakeholders—all the info they need to know how to proceed with the project.

Clear results and document readings, all taken in a timely manner, are just what you need to up your profit margin.

To learn more about the Rapid RH test kit, visit Rapid RH Concrete Moisture Test.

Previously published in The Flooring Contractor magazine

Last updated on February 25th, 2022