Were in northern Indiana, humid summers long cold winters. Wall Corners-Perpendicular within 1/4" in 10'. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has a chart that indicates the moisture content of wood at any given combination of temperature and humidity. I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. I had engineered hard wood installed and it is curling at the joints. To make sure the wood is properly dried, he always uses a moisture meter before working with it. Building pathology: moisture conditions within traditionally - NBS I appreciate you sharing this important information with us at this time. However, the ideal humidity range in some climates may be higher or lower. with the spring thaw, i was one of the lucky ones that got water in my basement. I had a pin meter but found I had to put the pins in the ends or try to find an area that wouldnt be seen, so Im thinking a pinless might be better. We have a free App called WoodH2O that will tell you the moisture content given certain temperature and humidity conditions. Do you have a suggestion? The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. Thanks. Freshly cut wood has a lot of moisture in it. Good luck. Too wet and you get fuzzing. can be insulated and heated (insulation is mandatory if heated) require careful planning and . Hug the ones you love when you see them! To establish a baseline for wood flooring acclimation, the installer will need to calculate the optimal moisture level of the wood by dividing the regions high season and low season EMC. Poor Drainage: A Foundation Problem Waiting to Happen, A Trade Secret: Bucks Vinyl Siding Test, Foundation Repair Salesman: Licensed to Kill, Dear God, Martha, Our House is Breaking in Two!. Because wood shrinks and warps as it dries, woodworkers want it to be pre-shrunk before they use it. look forward to your comments. Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. There will be statistical outliers on both the low and the high end and youll want to catch these by using a quality moisture meter. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802. Water was coming out of this outlet and onto the floor? board will move twice as much as a 4-in. If the wood is covered by a material like MDF or other, do we take 2x the measurements? Which Orion moisture meter model would you suggest for my application? Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. You must be careful with a thick slab once you cut it. The acceptable moisture content in wood depends on two factors: These two factors make it difficult to say anything specific about acceptable wood moisture content. According to Dr. Eugene Wengert, professor and specialist in wood processing at the University of Wisconsin-Madisons Department of Forestry, wood should be dried to a water MC thats within two percentage points of the EMC where the wood is going to be used. Moisture Content of Wood | Everything You Need to Know - Reliance Timber i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. . The ASTM D4442 standard determines the accuracy of wood moisture meters. I am presently drying it to around 8%-10% and then rotary polishing it, but I am facing the issue of burrs on the edges. However, and unless otherwise permitted by a flooring product manufacturer, the following maximum moisture emission levels over a 24 hour period are permissible for the following floor coverings types: What Are Acceptable Moisture Levels In A Crawl Space? 12% is good for softwoods, but again, it depends on the relative humidity and temperature where the finished product will be kept. I think that I know my own answer, but thought I might reach out for some possible better insight. The door is NE facing and protected from direct Sun light and rain by a porch roof. Wood Moisture Content - RLC Engineering, LLC Wagner has a free app called WoodH2O to help you determine the proper moisture levels based on consistent humidity and temperature. Percent moisture content in wood is the ratio of the weight of water compared to the overall weight of a piece of wood. Any suggestions to this being possible to correct? Many timber-framed floor problems can be traced to moisture levels, excessive loads or borer. Would the screws skew the measurements? 0 WM=8DBaHh10tIKR/OH}X5Kpt'_]4Mfg9@w8~ n$R Joist spans may not be on the minds of most do-it-yourselfers, but joist spans are everywhere: above our heads in the ceiling joists and below our feet as flooring joists. You are correct, furniture grade hardwood is typically dried between 6 to 9%. Replaced the subfloor, which is . Any time water can be absorbed into a material such as wood, drywall etc, its always a good idea to check for excessive moisture, especially if you suspect a leak. Varying humidity levels can cause wood to lose or gain water and shrink or expand. Maximum Moisture Content Of Concrete This is a nominal value most product manufacturers specify when concrete is dry enough to allow their product to lay down on it. A Brick Veneer Crack Tragedy: A True Story, Spraying for Mold on Floor Joists: Pest Control. The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. I get some water seepage through an exterior wall at basement floor level as a result of heavy rain. Hi, in MN where extreme temperatures are very hard on homes. Electronic moisture meters for damp diagnosis in buildings Typical moisture content for furniture in a home is 6-9%. (He didnt cite a figure.) Which do you recommend? or finally the product will be placed where. "Mold requires moisture to survive, so protecting lumber and wood structures from moisture will prevent mold growth. It is also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. Thanks Phil. Therefore, just because the wood is kiln-dried doesnt mean it has lost the ability to absorb moisture. And it's important to keep in mind that a glued-up panel behaves basically as one wide piece of lumber. These include warping, cracking, buckling, diminished wood strength, corrosion of fasteners, and even fungal growth. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. Now the fungus goes dormant. Add 1 to this value and round up the answer to the next whole number: 7.40625 + 1 = 8.40625 9 floor joists. Repair is often required when WMC readings are in this range. Wood Rot in Crawl Spaces: Whats That Smell in My House. Timber logs & Lumber into India company remained actively involved in harvesting and sale of Hardwood logs of Indian origin. The joist span tables start with 26 lumber and it goes all the way up to 212. In general, 12% moisture or above is too wet to install flooring. I had a redwood deck, and they replaced it with Douglas fir (without my approval, but thats another issue). You mentioned the humidity outside is 55%. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. 7. I cant speak for the home inspector who has raised concerns, or what his experience level is, but I can assure you that the floor joists beneath this home are no different than 90% of the floor joists I have inspected over the past three decades. Readings can be elevated if there is a stud directly behind the sheetrock. These home inspectors are insecure and inexperienced. Thanks! For wide-width solid flooring (3 or wider), there should be no more than a 2% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. Download a free version of NZS 3602:2003. If this is confusing, dont worry. We have started to import teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia into Europe. i cored out a small section of the bottom beam (3 inches wide) all the way down to the foundation. 1 4 endstream endobj 79 0 obj <>stream These are slabs roughly 2 thick. Im looking for the % number that will be my upper boundary for oil application Would 12% be ok? A moisture meter will help verify. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. Using wood with a moisture content above 14% isnt recommended because it may have detrimental long-term effects on the construction. Since wood is hygroscopic, it loses or gains moisture depending on the relative humidity of the surrounding air. One of his own service guys said foundation caps needed to be replaced. About 5/16 penetration into the wood measures 8% using pins only. Truss Uplift: Who Would Have Ever Thunk It? Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly. We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. A Homeowner's Guide to Floor Underlayments | Hunker in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. The floor immediately felt stronger. Wood moisture content between 0% and about 28% is dependent upon the relative humidity (RH) of the air. I so appreciate your treatise on this issue. Hello Larry I am from Bangladesh. The new wood was brought in in bundles ~2 x 2 x 6 and left that way to acclimate for ~2 weeks. 1. Best of luck with your project. The optimal humidity in a home is generally 35%-55% and anything under 20% is actually considered unhealthy, as it dries out the skin. A high reading in one area indicates a problem that must be corrected. As a general rule, with geographic exceptions, wood flooring performs best when the interior environment is controlled to stay within an RH range of 30% to 50% and a temperature range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. The SG setting is on the card that comes with the meter. Floor joists support most of your home's weight and play a crucial role in structural integrity. The difference between the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring shouldn't exceed 4% for solid strip hardwood . But the table will be inside? PDF Solid Wood Flooring Installation - Mullican Flooring I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. For example, if the expected EMC ranges from a low of 6% to a high of 9%, the baseline moisture content of the wood would be 7.5%. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. Does Brick Veneer Cracking Mean Foundation Problems? I live in Atascadero CA and had a coastal red oak tree cut down this past summer. Ive been following your in depth blog on moisture meters for around 1 year now. i want to make a headboard from it. Here is the one I would recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/mmc220-extended-range-moisture-meter/, My potential house in North Carolina Fayetteville area was just checked for moisture content in the crawl space. Hello Brian, I am a moisture meter expert, not a woodworking expert but from your description, the problem points to the conditions, not the wood or joinery. Also, please feel free to provide us with the number that you called so we can make sure that all of our phone numbers are printed/posted accurately! Turn on the meter. I recently received a call from a Realtor who is selling a home. And would it be normal for the MC to vary from board-to-board and one end of a board to the other? Wiki User. In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. Are the measurements of all wood the same?