water leaked over the edge. These tools will give you the confidence that you have done everything on your part to ensure the highest quality in the piece you have built. look forward to your comments. Simple and regular maintenance can prevent serious problems developing. 12% is good for softwoods, but again, it depends on the relative humidity and temperature where the finished product will be kept. I know the rule of thumb is 1 year of dry time per inch of thickness of wood. Since your subfloor may be concrete or wood, you should make sure you choose a meter that is specially designed for the specific element you are testing. z .XWb*QGF^v4MQ`_dRw{\;\'03Uhx-SeJlc!m\8X^,Z/hU5Ewdzz:`nZ!(7reWD4X. What is the acceptable water/moisture content in cassia bark?- in south east asia. It is impossible for me to tell you what the percentage of furniture should be, but if you know the EMC in the area it will be kept, you can check the MC continuously until you reach its EMC. Whats an acceptable moisture level for a brick wall in a house? Why Do So Many Homes Have Cracks in Their Brick Veneer? We dont know if we still should be having a commercial drying process? Wonder if they are trying to cover themselves. It is also a good idea to use a moisture meter after the three weeks just to make sure. hellow! 800-634-9961, or email sales@wagnermeters.com. A mold or mildew odor or appearance on surfaces. provide a good substrate for a wide range of wet area finishes. How best to handle moisture inside concrete block basement walls? I hope that helps. If the humidity is a constant 76% then the wood will equilibrate between 14 and 15% moisture content. Im planning on using some of it to build a new front door for the house and was wondering what MC I should be shooting for. When you do this, you not only ensure that the entire batch is okay on average, but youre also far likelier to catch boards that are statistical outliers and could cause problems. Im hoping this should work. The interior home conditions are, AC running at 68-70*F. Exterior wall condition 104*F as checked with an IR thermometer of East wall not in the sun. Both times, the tables were flawless, but after 2-3 weeks in their new home both table tops had major crack issues. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep moisture away from materials that expand and contract. Floors-1/2" in 12' or 3/16" in 4'. I live in Charlotte, NC. Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. We also ship to other European countries, for dryer country like Spain the EMC could be between 12 and 14. You can use a dehumidifier when you need your crawl space drier, but it's essential to maintain proper moisture levels as much as possible. Including some high-end species like Rosewood, ebony, Mahogany, White Cedar, Bija Sal, Walnut, Gmelina, etc. I will get further testing from those not involved. If the moisture is less than 20% and the floor joists are structurally sound, like the joists at this home, there is no need to worry about any fungal staining that might exist. Electronic moisture meters for damp diagnosis in buildings Thats why I think the wood is either not dried to 14%, or it has picked up too much humidity after drying. Do you have a suggestion? If the moisture content of the product is well outside the range of optimal MC, the wood flooring should not be accepted because it will lead to shrinkage, bowing, cupping, and other physical problems. This should be stuck into your wooden subfloor. Take the readings in at least 20 spots per 1,000 square feet of flooring and average the results. I have an unusual question, if I was to sandwich recycled paper (similar to hardwood floor paper only heavier) between 2 layers of wood as a draft stop what should the moisture content be to avoid the paper absorbing any water and ending up with a mold issue thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Although some movement can be expected between 6% and 9%, wood flooring can shrink or swell more dramatically outside this range. board will move twice as much as a 4-in. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. Im down to ~13-19% MC near floor level, based on a cheapo moisture meters readings. Studies have shown, however, that mold growth can occur on wood at moisture content levels above 15 to 18 percent, and corrosion of metal fasteners in treated wood can occur when moisture content exceeds 18 to 20 percent. Water was coming out of this outlet and onto the floor? Many of our customers are successfully using our hand held moisture meters on engineered flooring. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. Pros and cons of wet area floor finishes - Level Leicester, NC 28748 Home Moisture Meters Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood Knowing the Moisture Content. %PDF-1.2 % Wood used indoors will eventually stabilize at 8-14% moisture content; outdoors at 12-18%. I have a question, I have moisture in the crawl space, we insulated the crawl with closed cell, cannot get the osb subfloor below. Again, the correct moisture content will depend on the surrounding conditions. I am not familiar with the particular moisture meter the plumber was using, but assuming it is correct, that moisture content is way too high to install new flooring. we are getting hardwoods from our Uk Suppliers and accoya coming in at 2% and once we use the timber we are reading 0% we have tested the reader and its accurate even joinery grade sapele wood and Tulip wood coming in at 0% we cover these in 3 coats of sikkens paint and sometimes we get jobs where we are having to go back as our joinery is moving and we are guessing its because of these moisture levels and had never checked previously. Replaced the subfloor, which is . Sorry that this is so long-winded and I thank you in advance if you are willing to address this question for me. Higher values could mean a wet or saturated material. Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. Very simple and understandable. Below 12% Readings in this range are common to kiln or oven dried woods and furniture grades of wood, and represent dry conditions. Moisture contents of 12 to 17% is ok. You dont want to see any subfloor reach about 25% which is where mold will start to grow. You should be able to specify a lower moisture content. I took readings of the moisture of the sub floor at the edges of the wall and it ranged from 5 to 16, problem is i cant take it in the middle of the floor unless i rip the floor out. Below a 17% MC of wood, virtually no microbial growth will occur on even the most susceptible materials. Standards and tolerances guide | Queensland Building and Construction The maximum subfloor moisture level for solid strip flooring or wide-width solid flooring is either 12% or 13%, depending on the manufacturer. Any moisture content measured higher than that might result in movement, such as warping and twisting, once it dries. Continue reading MC in the home. As with plywood subfloors, if there is movement or squeaks, refasten the subfloor to the joists and set protruding fasteners into the subfloor. This is for furniture-grade hardwoods. To the right, 13.2% in the same distance and also drops to ~ 8% after. Utilize the chart on following page to record the environmental readings at the time of installation. Wagner Meters has a couple of resources to help you determine the moisture content more suited to your outdoor environment. The excess moisture source should be corrected if found. For example, a 26 Southern Pine joist can span 12'. Hello! Please provide us with regular updates. Great article! As lumber dries, it may split, cup and warp. Writing all the way from Australia, Steven. What Are Acceptable Moisture Levels In A Crawl Space? Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. I had a redwood deck, and they replaced it with Douglas fir (without my approval, but thats another issue). I removed an of the foam insulation. Since the cold weather has come on, the organic growth has gone dormant, but a contractor noticed joists with distinctive moisture content where there are definitive separations between dry and wet looking wood. i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. What are acceptable moisture levels in a subfloor? somewhere. How long will it take to get to the ideal moisture reading and is it better to be stored in a garage or inside a house? During the summer, moisture content readings above . He wants to install his companys system, seal all external openings around connections, etc. It causes decay of the wood structure. I did not find any information on Matumi. Currently reading a 12.5%. The purpose of acclimating is to allow the flooring to equalize to the surrounding conditions, no matter how large the room is. If the middle is wet, you may experience cracking/splitting if dried too fast. i dont understand how the bottom beam looks like swiss cheese from all the holes ive drilled and has had a commercial blower on it for days yet the number is still high despite there being no visible water to keep the wood wet. This means the weight of the water exceeds the weight of the wood by itself. This makes pinless moisture meters perfect for measuring the moisture content of things like expensive hardwood floors. A 10% moisture content reading means that 10% of a wood samples weight is due to water in the wood. Good moisture content for softwoods is 10% to 14% moisture. Timber treatment | BRANZ Weathertight If a board reads 100% (Difficult to measure accurately) then the weight of the water equals the weight of that wood. Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. The chart below will clear things up. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. Many timber-framed floor problems can be traced to moisture levels, excessive loads or borer. It depends on the size of the project, but anytime you put a waterborne urethane on the wood you are adding moisture to your project. Ideally, you want to check the EMC in the area you will be working on your slab, along with the area it will live in. Does it have another common name? Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent mold from getting on the wood? The pins are pressed into the wood to obtain a reading. 25-30 - Actual, and often extensive, damage is evident when readings reach this level. This method uses the oven-dry method and then compares the results to those obtained using a moisture meter. The wood looks awful, and the staining the did is even worse. I-joists are strong, lightweight, "I" shaped engineered wood structural members that meet demanding performance standards. Before installing carpet, you will need to dry the subfloor first. Be on the lookout for flooring failures such as swelling, buckling, cupping, etc. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content. Subsequently the woodgrain has reflected in the previously mirror-finish, only on the new panels and we suspect moisture content issues in the wood before it was varnished. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. Call JADE today for a crawlspace inspection and we can give you definitive answers to your crawl space problems! 1. in Indonesia there are a lot of raw materials consisting of natural fibers, such as: pandanus, water hyacinth, rattan etc. Pinless meters are non-penetrating and read the moisture content via a non-damaging electromagnetic sensor that scans the wood. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. Here is a link to our moisture meters, thermo-hygrometer, and Smart Logger. Great article, thanks for the info. Check joints and bottom plates as moisture can get trapped here. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. We havent gone any further since the condition was found so close to us purchasing the home. The floor (under carpet) had long-term water exposure supposedly from a shower in the adjacent bathroom (according to the plumber). We will be having a deck built off my woodshop. PDF Solid Wood Flooring Installation - Mullican Flooring This weight difference is then used to calculate the woods original moisture content. ft., based on a standard AStM F-1869 (Calcium Chloride) test, or 80% rh, based on AStM F-2170. Should you check moisture levels on a trailor floor on a massive rainy day? Grain orientation matters Why and how can I say this? 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 cant speak for other pinless meters but our Wagner meters are not sensitive to the temperatures you indicated. Do these levels seen appropriate considering the recent rainfall. Wood Rot in Crawl Spaces: Whats That Smell in My House. Lacquer will not make a reading difference as long as there are no metallic components in the lacquer itself. Is your electrical outlet that is 3 inches above the floor inside the house? Wood in buildings usually has a wood moisture content of 5% to 15%. of the average flooring moisture content that is being laid). The plywood setting is .57. wood using pins while the MDF uses pinless? Yes, it is possible to have a moisture content reading of 99.9%. I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. He asked if I could double-check the findings of another home inspection company that requested expert advice on some mold/fungus they found in the crawl space of the home. A moisture meter will help verify. Thanks for the reply. Walking on Joists Before all accessories and floor decking are installed, I-joists are unstable and can roll over if walked on, leading to injuries. Does Brick Veneer Cracking Mean Foundation Problems? We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. Characteristic of this wood easy to absorb of water and have large open pore. You will however, need to become familiar with reading your local floor joist span tables for floor beams, floor joists, window and door lintels, ceiling joists, roof joists, roof rafters, and roof ridge beams, as well as the sizing and spacing of wood studs tables. Thank You. The flooring pieces should be removed from the packaging to allow the ambient conditions to equalize the wood. This type of floor-leveling is DIY-friendly and costs approximately $1.50 per square foot when applied 1/8-inch thick. I hope this helps. The normal moisture content of wood (or EMC) varies from 7%-19% depending on the RH in the air. Had fans and dehumidifer running for 17 days starting 2 days after leak. Set the meter to the species that makes up the bulk, in this case, the plywood. Your email address will not be published. With a Wagner L606, I am getting MC readings 12%->15.5% . guide-standards-tolerances.pdf. Foundation Underpinning Repair: Unnecessary? My thought is maybe to get one of your meter for greater accuracy? A dry reading will be 16% MC (Moisture Content) or below. Mold and fungus in the crawl space can definitely become a problem, but dont be fooled into thinking that a Borate spray HAS to be applied in EVERY situation. There are two main ways of measuring wood moisture content: oven-dry testing and moisture meter testing. Seattles EMC ranges from 12.2% to 16.5%. Limit the length of notches to 1/3 of the joist's depth. 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. Prior to the flooring installation, make sure your subfloor has not experienced leaks or other water damage. Stopping the moisture is much cheaper and easier than repairing the structure. Is it possible to get a 99.9% moisture reading (using a Cassain GM-200 hydrometer) on a particle board floor which looks and feels completely dry? Being that we live in Central Florida, 40 miles North of Tampa and using this chart page 5 ( https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/wpe/files/2016/08/Equilibrium-Moisture-Content-of-Exterior-Wood-in-the-US.pdf) were it states EMC for wood exposed outside for our area of 12.5 to 14.0 when I put the moisture meter to the wood it should be in those ranges if going to be used outside? One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. 1. Insert the pins into the surface of the wood you want to test. Chris. Back to top. ft., and averaging the results. For solid strip flooring (less than 3 wide) there should be no more than a 4% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. Call 256-318-0982 or contact us today. What Is A Floor Joist? - Homedit i cored out a small section of the bottom beam (3 inches wide) all the way down to the foundation. If your subfloor is a wood product, make sure the reading is less than 20% on the moisture meter. Like all wood materials, I-joists are susceptible to moisture. Here current humidity is 76%. Im not sure which part of Europe you are from, but typically the Indonesian climate is very humid compared to other parts of the world. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. As with the hardwood flooring, it is essential to check the OSB's moisture content using a moisture meter. Different wood? The difference between the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring shouldn't exceed 4% for solid strip hardwood . Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. Keep indoor humidity low. What is a Normal Reading on a Moisture Meter? All Materials Covered What Are Safe Moisture Levels for Hardwood Floors? - Delmhorst Larry Loffer is a senior technician at Wagner Meters, where he has over 30 years of experience in wood moisture measurement. hL The fir stock was originally KDd to around 8% but has been covered and stored outside for over a year and currently MC is around 12%. the curb is built with 3 2/4s stacked on each other. I want to use it to build a table and will be moving it to the location where I will work on it shortly. I recently received a call from a Realtor who is selling a home. If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. What is a 'normal' moisture level for a shower? - Houzz As the humidity decreases, the MC decreases, causing the wood to shrink. Thanks for the question. The ceiling in the bedroom above the chimney breast shows signs of damp however doesn't feel damp/moist. all concrete) is framed and sheetrocked (though not mudded or sealed in any way) is then the studs are tested for humidity, what would be a reasonable level here in Seattle, living approximately 100 yards Puget Sound? Great info! 9.1.5 Floors - NHBC Standards 2023 NHBC Standards 2023 What is "Acceptable" Dry? | 2021-06-02 | Restoration & Remediation Magazine P.O. 11 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 15 /H [ 1017 209 ] /L 26721 /E 14333 /N 2 /T 26383 >> endobj xref 11 18 0000000016 00000 n 0000000724 00000 n 0000000820 00000 n 0000000963 00000 n 0000001226 00000 n 0000001393 00000 n 0000001566 00000 n 0000001771 00000 n 0000002827 00000 n 0000002934 00000 n 0000004271 00000 n 0000005322 00000 n 0000005517 00000 n 0000007871 00000 n 0000007949 00000 n 0000009756 00000 n 0000001017 00000 n 0000001206 00000 n trailer << /Size 29 /Info 10 0 R /Encrypt 13 0 R /Root 12 0 R /Prev 26373 /ID[<2277e06d91c56aa37caf41071ab29f47><2277e06d91c56aa37caf41071ab29f47>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 12 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 9 0 R /PageMode /UseThumbs /OpenAction 14 0 R >> endobj 13 0 obj << /Filter /Standard /V 1 /R 2 /O (D+K\r,s\n?$+%{Nhjp-!) Oh no! A Guide to Subfloors Used Under Wood Flooring The water was there for at most 6 hours, then we vacuumed it all and started the process of drying.