With this in mind, dont forget to test your MC sample multiple times and from different locations. A moisture measuring device (MMD) can be used to detect the concentration of moisture in a building material. Do you see any dangers of using poly with a MC of around 12, or am I risking adhesion failure especially if the wood does end up shrinking dimensionally? The humidity percentage changes depending on the surrounding relative humidity. This is based on a chart in Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. A company sealed off the foundation vents and removed all the insulation from the crawlspace with the humidifier mitigating the moisture from the leaks. Thanks for the question. You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. I found your website at just the right time. I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. It does not store any personal data. ie SW=Starting weight, TW=Target weight, using T%=Target percentage My calculation ( T% X SW = TW). They are now saying that they will replace whatever boards are bad and resand and finish the floors, however Im concerned that there is an underlying issue that will resurface here? Im not sure I can really answer this question. Checking the MC of masonry work requires checking every component with a dedicated moisture meter. Prepare a set number of holes to a depth of 40% of the slab's thicknessat least three holes for the first 1,000 sq. In the bathroom, the ceiling read at 40% moisture. If your reading is over 20%, you may need to replace the drywall entirely. within two percentage points of the EMC where the wood is going to be used. 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. Part of knowing how to understand moisture meter readings to get accurate results is understanding the capabilities of the meter itself and ensuring the meter is in the correct reading mode. So, when looking at the relative humidity of the space, spaces left above 70% RH for extended periods will also promote mold growth. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? Typical humidity levels inside a home is between 40 to 50%. 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. Im hoping this should work. So we are seeking redress, but there are jacks present underneath the home which the home inspector didnt report either and didnt know if this was extra support for the water heater or what. I am not concerned about a 17-20% reading since mold wont grow below about 25% MC. It is also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. in general, any reading between 6 and 10% is considered normal here. The moisture content of raw materials used for the paper should remain in a particular range to prevent deterioration. This is very common in low quality meters. I have built two table tops (douglas fir) that have both suffered major cracking in their final location. Timber logs & Lumber into India company remained actively involved in harvesting and sale of Hardwood logs of Indian origin. I know the rule of thumb is 1 year of dry time per inch of thickness of wood. A popular moisture meter called Delmhorsts KS-D1 soil moisture meter uses the reference scale (along with special gypsum sensor blocks) to diagnose the available moisture content in the soil. 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. That said, I would be curious what meter you are using to get the 30% reading? In general, any reading between 6 and 10% is considered normal here. The lumber was recently milled, although the tree had been cut months, years ago. Subfloor material such as plywood or OSB should measure between 10 and 14% moisture content. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Specifically in the first 3-4 on one side of the door is 11%, then drops to ~8%. Learn how your comment data is processed. Yes, the wood can still be read for MC with a stain on it. Before installing carpet, you will need to dry the subfloor first. Over time, a moisture meter may, through repeated use or accidental damage, fall out of calibration and start generating erroneous moisture testing results. So please help us to know what should be required moisture level in Acacia board in final product if we need to restrict wood movement at Colorado . For many industries, its very necessary to determine moisture content. Knowing how to understand moisture meter readings and the various factors that affect moisture meter accuracy can be crucial for getting reliable moisture testing results. No need for higher values here. To determine if your hardwood floors need to be acclimated, you can use a wood floor moisture test. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. It is best to obtain a wood moisture content that will match the environment. Pin-type meters are more sensitive than pinless meters to naturally-occurring chemicals and minerals in the wood and wood temperature variations. I hope this helps. Mansel, I would just keep an eye out for now. If youre willing to accept a moisture reading with +/- 5% accuracy, you can probably get away with buying a cheap meter in the $25-50 range. Are the measurements of all wood the same? Use of moisture measuring devices for evaluating water damage in Also, there is a risk of mold. What readings are normal when checking the components of masonry? These are especially important when conducting moisture tests on wood that hasnt been stored at room temperature. Record the reading you get and use this as a baseline. The hay scale range generally remains between 6% to 40%. Tile: Moisture rising from the subfloor can break down the adhesive beneath the tiles. Failure to do this will result in warping, cracking, and other problems after the construction of the wood product. However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. I am having a section of our 3.25 Maple hardwood floor replaced. However, even a shrinkage this small maybe only several thousandths of an inch can cause after-construction gluing problems, especially with cracks and joints. A final major factor that can affect the accuracy of moisture meter readings is the presence of water on the surface of an object. The levels were between 20 and 23%. Concrete placed outdoors and exposed to extreme weather conditions or humidity can experience a higher moisture content of up to 18%, which is still considered acceptable. The moisture reading scales are designed to determine a specific, quantitative amount of moisture content (%MC) in a particular type of material. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep moisture away from materials that expand and contract. We have started to import teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia into Europe. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. What do you recommend the reader to be at before insulation and drywall on new construction? I have used spar urethane as a finish on a few other 12 to 18 MC (semi-wet) log projects that turned out wonderfully. The average RH of the environment where the wood will be used. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. Hello Enjoyed the article. Whether youre a woodworker making cabinets, a wood flooring professional installing hardwood floors, or if you use wood in construction, wood moisture content (MC) should be always on your mind. Over time, your hardwood floor can become discolored. 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. Anyone who works with wood must know its moisture content. When I purchase it its soaking wet and Ive always given it a few weeks, stickered and covered for at least 2 weeks, sometimes up to a month, to get it down to around 17-19%. Freshly cut wood has a lot of moisture in it. What are acceptable ranges of moisture for composite materials like MDF and Plywood, for indoor furniture use? We ripped out the wet drywall and insulation and have a fan to dry out the wood. Do you think its to early to start working with it.If so how many yrs will it take to get to proper mc so i can work with it. Thanks. Press and hold the power button to turn on the moisture meter. Because pinless meters are calibrated using specific gravity as the standard for measurement, random changes in SG for a material can impact the accuracy of their moisture readings. Great info! Thank you for the information, I use a lot of trimmed for for children toys, menu times I use rings of 1-3 inch in diameter, For these purposes I dont care for wood shrinkage or wraping, Two things are important for me that wood will not crack, and that mold wont develop. They are putting desiccants in the container to absorb the moisture but we feel its going to be a long time enclosed in the container without any air circulation. Furniture grade wood is typically dried to a target of 6%-9%. The inspector said his meter reading taken from my basement on subflooring/joists/framing was too high. Flaws in a material, such as whorls in wood or air pockets in poured flooring, affect that materials specific gravity (SG) value. In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Were building a new home and have a roof leak. While the surface of the floor might feel dry, there could be higher moisture inside. Moisture values over 15% suggest that additional investigation is necessary. The general process for using pin-type moisture meters is as follows. From agriculture, to lumber manufacturing, to water damage restoration, to construction, there are many applications that rely heavily on moisture testing to produce optimal end results. Targeted moisture content will vary from region to region. There are different types of moisture meters and each type is for a specific purpose. I am extremely worried about this as we also found mold on his wood furniture but not on the walls. Thanks for the reply. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Looking back at pictures of the build process, they brought the hardwood bundles into my home in late October of 2017 and installed them 3 days later. With the WoodH2O-app I could deduct the EMC for The Netherlands would be between 15 and 16. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. What is a normal reading on a moisture meter? - Questionsmeter The plumber said that the floor has an elevated moisture reading and took a photo showing the 99.9% (maximum reading) on the meter while the meter was on the floor. Thank you for the well described article. I live in upstate South Carolina. Check out this video by YouTuber WagnerMeters to see how to use a drywall moisture meter: As the name suggests, the hay scale moisture meter is used for detecting the moisture content of hay. In either case, the accuracy of the meter is impacted. Even in our daily lives, it has a significant role. Also, the glue manufacturer should ideally give you some specifications for max and min moisture content. Fill the. Standard moisture contents for hardwoods are 6% 9% MC. The interior was 3/4 BW the tables dimensions were 40x 70 . This means a very absorbent wood can retain more water, weight wise, the weight of the wood itself. I would think it would vary depending on the contents. I live in coastal South Carolina .we are definitely afraid of mold formation. Thanks in advance for your input! It is a 2-3 feet wide wet area that drains to a line connected to the city system. The installer should then check the moisture content of multiple boards and average the results. You may be picking up something behind the sheetrock. I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. I have a wood floor that is showing 99% m.c.in some areas.Other areas its 40% its inconsistent through out the home.Theres no cupping or crowning.However along the exterior walls there is some discoloration.What could be going on here? I had a quick looked around the crawl space and didnt notice any structure damage. Cleaning up the excess water before testing; and. Wood musical instruments, microphones, bowling pins, and other specialty items made of wood usually require a wood moisture reading of 6-9%. He added that plastic sheet ground covering that his company laid over my crawl space had been moved in spots and that I no longer had full coverage. The ideal moisture content will depend on the humidity indoors. Im still not sure that whatever they do will produce a good, long-term result, but I need to know what they should be doing to the wood. So the question is are those burrs or fuzzing on the edges?, Wed love to have you give us a call to discuss which moisture meter is best for you. because if the moisture meter indicated 40% of water content in lumber, it means that it is already saturated and compromised. we had a problem with our shower curb. I have a question, I have moisture in the crawl space, we insulated the crawl with closed cell, cannot get the osb subfloor below. The cedar I have is now at 12-16%. On the other hand, in humid summer months, especially without air-conditioning, moisture levels in homes, offices, and manufacturing facilities may sometimes exceed 9% EMC. A dehumidifier in the crawlspace will help but can be expensive. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. 877-335-6467 Dealer Portal (Itd effectively seal the cavity under the vanity, so once the trim is back on, i dont think itll dry out much more.) Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. To make sure the wood is properly dried, he always uses a moisture meter before working with it. I have taken a few readings with the walls I'm concerned about and it ranges from 20 - 26% even from top to bottom, I took a reading in a room not so bad at around 10-12% top to bottom. Some examples of things that can impact the accuracy of moisture testing include: Why and how do these factors affect moisture meter readings? The meter's material setting has 7 different materials to choose from. First, because wood has a great capacity to absorb and hold water. I so appreciate your treatise on this issue. Drywall scales are used to determine the moisture content of construction, home inspection, and water damage restoration industries. I may have missed this already but I have a few quick questions. if not, can you tell me why? I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. The SG setting is on the card that comes with the meter. It is also possible high moisture has entered the container during the trip to Europe. The normal moisture content of wood (or EMC) varies from 7%-19% depending on the RH in the air. How to use a moisture meter properly - BT Preservation | Damp In other words, dense mixes of concrete allow less moisture to penetrate the slab than lighter ones. There are two primary methods by which moisture testing in solid materials works: Each of these two moisture testing methods has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Oiling the surface does not control the moisture in the wood. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. Gareth, Im not sure that the 23% MC reading is accurate; it sounds pretty high, but nonetheless, it appears as if you dont have a problem, but if you have concerns about possible mold, I suggest you also contact NORMI, https://www.normi.org and see if they can help you locate a certified inspector near you. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. This is the first time Im coming to know that there are acceptable moisture levels when it comes to wood and whatnot. Seal the holes with a sensor sleeve and cap to allow them to acclimate for the next 24 hours. Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. I am happy to assist but some critical questions must be addressed first. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This happens when the moisture inside the wood reaches a balance or equilibrium with the relative humidity (RH) and temperature of the woods surrounding environment. Please provide us with regular updates. As a rule of thumb, you should expect the following ranges for dry materials: Mortar: 1% 4% Plaster: 0.5% 1% Concrete: 0.5% 1% Stucco: 0.5% 2%. With pinless meters, surface moisture can spoil the contact between the meter and the material being tested. On top of than a high humidity level is usually associated with the spread of moisture patche or worse yet, sold, on walls and surfaces, making them look bad and health-threatening. A termite repair company (also licensed contractors) told me that I needed to replace the planks on my second story deck. What Are Safe Moisture Levels in Walls? - Delmhorst There are several things that can impact moisture meter accuracyand different types of moisture meters may be affected differently. It uses a reference scale and does a comparison with dry materials to determine the amount of moisture present. Moisture content (MC) in raw slabs can take additional time to reach its Equilibrium Moisture Content. Hi Ron, Great post. As the name suggests, drywall is meant to be dry and damp free. How to Use a Moisture Meter for Your Plants - The Spruce Wagners Orion series of meters are the most accurate wood moisture meters on the market. However, the company who maintains the dehumidifier said he tested some of the joist which he said only registered 10 on his device. We must use a reference scale. Brick Stone Concrete Stucco Tile Mortar Plaster Cement Mudbrick Granite. If there are quite small amounts of moisture in a wall of dense plaster or brick, then a meter will probably indicate over 20% or so and this will be in the 'red zone' or beeps and squeeks may happen. As long as the moisture content does not exceed those readings you should be ok. In most cases, the moisture can be more appropriately imagined as humidity rather than collected water. 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%. Three years ago, the floor sank in a heavy traffic area and an engineer told me Masonite was used to shim and had compressed. What we need is to keep the moisture content in a certain range. If that is the case you need to remove the flooring and examine the subfloor. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content. Can I get a away with this? The gadget is available at Sephora stores in the US. Just press the scanning plate against the woods surface, turn on the meter, and receive the reading. 3. What are acceptable moisture levels in a subfloor? While playing around with my pinless meter and checking the interior East and west walls on hot days, I notice the moisture content being very high 60% mc to off scale. Should I be concerned or just keep any eye out? What is the thickness of the wood? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They are returning to remove one plank and take it back to see what they can do to meet my satisfaction. They said if i wanted to spend the money, a humidifier would help keep the humidity inside the house more consistent throughout the year.

Wilson Funeral Home Obituary, Articles M