If It Is Not Documented, It Is Difficult to Prove

Industrial coating and flooring projects involve conditions that can change quickly. Concrete moisture, building temperature, relative humidity, surface temperature, leaks, contamination, and work by other trades can all affect the installation.

Months or years later, memories will differ. The project record should show what was known at the time, what requirements governed, what conditions were measured, and why the work proceeded.

Documentation Has Three Purposes

Begin With the Contract and Scope

Before work begins, determine exactly what the contractor has agreed to provide. Moisture testing, vapor-retarder verification, leak correction, substrate repair, mitigation, crack treatment, environmental control, inspection, and warranty administration may be assigned to different parties.

Clarify Responsibility For

• Concrete moisture testing
• Selecting test methods and locations
• Interpreting and accepting test results
• Investigating water sources
• Correcting plumbing, roof, drainage, and waterproofing defects
• Removing existing flooring, coatings, and adhesives
• Hazardous-material testing and abatement
• Concrete repair and surface preparation
• Crack, joint, drain, and penetration detailing
• Providing heat, air conditioning, ventilation, and dehumidification
• Selecting the mitigation and finished-floor systems
• Manufacturer inspection and warranty registration
• Protecting completed work from other trades
• Cleaning, maintenance, and post-installation damage

Scope gaps should be resolved before they become field emergencies. A statement such as “prepare floor as required” may not define who pays for extensive coating removal, contaminated-concrete removal, moisture mitigation, or structural repair.

Pre-Installation Documentation

Create a project file before mobilization. Retain the version of every document used to price, plan, and perform the work.

Pre-Installation File

• Signed contract and complete scope of work
• Project specification and drawings
• Addenda, clarifications, and approved change orders
• Approved product submittals
• Current technical data sheets
• Current safety data sheets
• Manufacturer application instructions
• Compatibility letters and detail drawings
• Testing plan and acceptance criteria
• Surface-preparation and inspection plan
• Environmental-control plan
• Warranty requirements and exclusions
• Pre-installation meeting minutes
• Contact information and authority levels for responsible parties

Use the Correct Document Revision

Technical data, standards, product formulations, and installation instructions can change. Record the publication or revision date of the documents used for the project.

Do not depend on an undated printed sheet stored in a vehicle or office. Confirm that project requirements and current manufacturer instructions have been reconciled.

When the specification and product instructions conflict, request written clarification. Do not quietly choose whichever requirement is easier.

Moisture-Test Records

Moisture reports should show more than a list of numbers. Another qualified person should be able to determine where, when, and how the tests were performed.

Record the Following

• Project name, address, floor, room, and area
• Test method and ASTM edition
• Testing technician and applicable qualifications
• Test dates and exact times
• Floor area and required number of tests
• Unique identification for every location
• Floor plan showing every location
• Slab thickness and probe depth where applicable
• Individual test results—not only an average
• Instrument, sensor, calibration, and verification information
• Building temperature, relative humidity, and HVAC status
• Visible dampness, efflorescence, cracks, or unusual conditions
• Applicable acceptance limit and its source
• Procedural deviations or interrupted tests

Photographs Should Tell the Story

Take photographs before preparation removes evidence, during each hidden stage, and after completion. Use overview, intermediate, and close-up views.

Photograph These Conditions

• Original floor and existing failures
• Water, stains, efflorescence, cracks, and contamination
• Moisture-test locations and identification numbers
• Surface preparation and accepted concrete profile
• Unexpected concrete conditions revealed by removal
• Crack, joint, drain, edge, and penetration repairs
• Membrane installation sections and material placement
• Pinholes, holidays, repairs, and final membrane condition
• Primer, broadcast, underlayment, adhesive, and coating layers
• Environmental meters showing readings when practical
• Damage or contamination caused by other trades
• Completed floor before return to service

Label photographs so they can be matched to a date, location, activity, and report. Hundreds of unlabeled images are less useful than a smaller organized set.

Daily Installation Reports

Complete a daily report even when no problem occurs. Routine records establish how the work progressed and show that quality-control procedures were consistently applied.

Environmental Records

Record actual readings rather than writing “conditions acceptable.” Include instrument identification, location, and time.

Repeat measurements at the frequency required by the specification and manufacturer and whenever weather, doors, HVAC, temporary heat, dehumidification, or work location changes.

If conditions move outside the permitted range, record when work stopped, what materials were affected, what corrective action was taken, and the compliant readings obtained before work resumed.

Material and Batch Records

• Manufacturer and exact product name
• Part A, Part B, aggregate, primer, or accessory designation
• Batch and lot number
• Manufacturing and expiration dates
• Quantity received and used
• Storage and conditioning temperature
• Area where each batch was installed
• Time each unit was mixed and placed
• Mixing equipment and procedure
• Measured area and actual coverage
• Unused, damaged, or rejected material

Batch-location records make it possible to determine whether an observed problem is isolated to one kit, one work section, or the entire installation.

Document Hidden Work

Moisture-mitigation projects contain many layers that disappear as work progresses. Establish inspection hold points before those layers are covered.

Suggested Hold Points

• After removal of existing materials
• After concrete repairs and crack treatment
• After mechanical surface preparation
• After final cleaning
• After moisture-membrane installation
• After pinhole and holiday repairs
• After primer or aggregate broadcast
• After underlayment installation
• Before adhesive or final coating application
• Before return to service

Record who inspected the work, what criteria were used, what defects were identified, how they were corrected, and who authorized the next step.

Requests for Information

When information is missing or conflicting, submit a written request for information. State the condition and the question clearly without directing another party toward a preferred answer.

A Useful Request Should Include

• Exact location and observed condition
• Photographs, measurements, and test results
• Applicable specification and product requirements
• The conflict or missing decision
• Effect on work, schedule, cost, warranty, or safety
• The date by which direction is needed
• A request for written authorization from the responsible party

Verbal Instructions

Field decisions are often made during telephone calls or site conversations. Follow important verbal instructions with a written confirmation stating who participated, what was discussed, and what direction was given.

Invite correction promptly if the summary is inaccurate. This creates a contemporaneous record without pretending that an informal conversation is a formal contract change.

Changes and Deviations

A change in product, preparation, moisture limit, crack detail, thickness, recoat procedure, or installation sequence can affect price, schedule, performance, and warranty.

Document changes before proceeding whenever possible. Identify who authorized the change and whether the system manufacturer approved it.

Understanding Manufacturer Warranties

Warranty marketing and warranty coverage are not necessarily the same. Review the complete warranty before selecting, pricing, or installing the system.

Warranty Questions

• Who issues the warranty?
• Who is the warranty holder?
• Which exact products and system layers are covered?
• Is coverage limited to replacement material?
• Are removal, labor, flooring, downtime, and consequential costs excluded?
• What moisture and pH tests are required?
• Who must perform the testing?
• Is manufacturer inspection required?
• Must the installer be trained or approved?
• Are active leaks, hydrostatic pressure, cracks, joints, or contamination excluded?
• Are materials from other manufacturers permitted?
• What records must be submitted and retained?
• What maintenance conditions apply?
• How and when must a claim be reported?
• What remedy is actually provided?

Contractor Workmanship Warranty

A contractor's workmanship warranty may be separate from the manufacturer's material or system warranty. The contractor should understand the duration, remedy, exclusions, and notice requirements stated in the contract.

Avoid promising performance beyond the written system capability or taking responsibility for conditions outside the contractor's control, such as future leaks, building movement, hydrostatic pressure, owner maintenance, chemical changes, or damage by other trades.

Warranty language and contractual risk allocation should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel and the contractor's insurance professional.

Owner Acceptance Does Not Replace Technical Compliance

An owner or general contractor may accept an exception, but that acceptance does not change a product limitation, create manufacturer warranty coverage, or make an unsafe condition acceptable.

Obtain written manufacturer and specification-authority approval when technical requirements are changed. Clearly identify the effect on warranty and responsibility.

Protecting Completed Work

Document the condition of the completed installation before other trades enter. Record protection requirements and communicate them to the responsible parties.

Post-Installation Risks

• Forklift or equipment traffic before full cure
• Water or cleaning chemicals during cure
• Welding, cutting, grinding, or construction debris
• Oil, hydraulic fluid, silicone, and process chemicals
• Dragging pallets, lifts, or equipment across the floor
• Tape, coverings, or protection materials incompatible with the coating
• Temperature or HVAC shutdown outside cure requirements
• Damage at doors, joints, drains, and transitions

Photograph damage caused after acceptance and notify the responsible party promptly. Do not repair it without defining scope, cost, and warranty implications.

When a Failure Is Reported

1. Acknowledge the report. Record when, where, and by whom the condition was reported.
2. Avoid premature conclusions. Do not admit or deny responsibility before the condition is investigated.
3. Protect the evidence. Request that affected materials not be removed or altered unnecessarily.
4. Notify appropriate parties. Follow contract, warranty, manufacturer, insurance, and legal notice requirements.
5. Inspect and document. Map the failure, photograph it, and preserve representative samples.
6. Review the project file. Compare the failure with testing, installation, environmental, and acceptance records.
7. Develop an investigation plan. Identify qualified personnel, testing, sampling, and responsibilities.
8. Issue findings carefully. Separate observed facts, test results, interpretations, and unresolved questions.

Record Retention

Establish a company policy for retaining contracts, reports, photographs, product records, approvals, training, warranty documents, and communications.

The appropriate retention period depends on contracts, warranties, insurance policies, applicable law, and company policy. Obtain guidance from qualified legal and insurance professionals.

Store records in an organized format with secure backups. Preserve original files and metadata where practical rather than relying only on compressed screenshots or printed copies.

Records That Reduce Contractor Risk

• Clear signed scope and responsibility matrix
• Current approved technical documents
• Complete moisture and environmental test reports
• Photographs tied to locations and dates
• Daily reports and batch-location records
• Preparation, inspection, and hidden-work acceptance records
• Written compatibility and manufacturer approvals
• Requests for information and responses
• Written confirmation of verbal instructions
• Approved change orders and deviations
• Warranty registration and required submissions
• Final acceptance and protection records
• Maintenance instructions provided to the owner
• Failure notices, investigations, samples, and corrective records

Documentation Mistakes to Avoid

• Using vague statements such as “floor looked dry”
• Recording only passing test results
• Averaging away an unacceptable result
• Taking photographs without dates or locations
• Failing to record the applicable acceptance criteria
• Relying on unconfirmed verbal approval
• Using outdated product instructions
• Changing products without written authorization
• Signing acceptance for work that was not inspected
• Using emotional, accusatory, or speculative report language
• Altering or deleting original records after a dispute begins
• Promising warranty coverage that the warranty document does not provide

Knowledge Check

Technical References

Use the editions required by the project specification and follow current written instructions, contract requirements, and warranty documents.

• ASTM F3010-24 - Standard Practice for Two-Component Resin Based Membrane-Forming Moisture Mitigation Systems for Use Under Resilient Floor Coverings.
• ASTM F2170 - Standard Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using In Situ Probes.
• ASTM F1869 - Standard Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride.
• ASTM F710 - Standard Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring.
• ICRI Guideline No. 710.3-2022 - Guide for the Mitigation of Moisture in Concrete Floor Slabs.
• ICRI Guideline No. 310.2R - Selecting and Specifying Concrete Surface Preparation for Sealers, Coatings, Polymer Overlays, and Concrete Repair.
• OSHA Hazard Communication Standard - Requirements concerning chemical hazard information, labels, employee training, and safety data sheets.
• Current contracts, approved submittals, technical data sheets, application instructions, compatibility statements, safety data sheets, inspection procedures, and warranty documents for the specified system.

These references provide general technical guidance but do not replace project-specific contracts, applicable law, insurance requirements, manufacturer instructions, or advice from qualified legal, insurance, engineering, or design professionals.