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. Good luck. Brilliant article. For a wooden subfloor you will need to use a 2-pronged moisture meter. This means the weight of the water exceeds the weight of the wood by itself. There will most likely be some shrinkage, so if possible, choose the clearest boards possible to lessen the possibility of any major cracking. Its always a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the finish also. The moisture content of freshly cut wood is typically somewhere between 40-200%. Failure to do this will result in warping, cracking, and other problems after the construction of the wood product. moisture meter testing a floor joist In this image we measure a reading of 37% in this floor joist. Here's a good rule of thumb: Notches should be no deeper than 1/6 the depth of the joist. Moisture levels in your crawl space that go beyond 70% lead to mold growth and health concerns. 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. Does coating wood with oil stabilize the moisture content in wood? The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. I hope this helps. Typical moisture content for furniture in a home is 6-9%. 10 14% moisture content is too high. Either one should be acceptable for finishes. Repair is often required when WMC readings are in this range. I do not have a hygrometer or a moisture meter as I am a hobbyist. We built our home from ground up and have a sealed crawl space dehumidifiers, etc In January of 2019, we had our builder and hardwood floor contractor come out because our hardwoods were starting to separate a lot. It is a 2-3 feet wide wet area that drains to a line connected to the city system. Thanks for the question. We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. Any opinions. This author has found decay fungi in floor joists at moisture levels of 20% to 25%. You must be careful with a thick slab once you cut it. Each piece of lumber is unique and carries physical characteristics that may include the following: knots, warping, shrinkage, swelling and/or splitting. Furniture grade wood is typically dried to a target of 6%-9%. It is best to obtain a wood moisture content that will match the environment. What You Should Know About Septic Systems, Interior Slab Foundation Settlement: Evaluations and Cost of Repair. Why and how can I say this? Floor joists support most of your home's weight and play a crucial role in structural integrity. I checked it with my new moisture meter and had a reading of between 8-13.5%. Wood Moisture Content (WMC) is often used as an indicator of decay problems in houses. Chris. if not, can you tell me why? 541-679-2612 www.Roseburg.com. hello I been getting very sick in my home so I had my manger do a mold and moisture test which came back high level of moisture levels which a contractor wants to take the sub floor up and 2 to 4 inches of the wall but my apartment manger is not releasing to report and hes is saying the spore test didnt pick up any mold spore question is it safe for me and my family to be in the home with high level of moisture in the restroom which the floor have been really soft for over 9 months now as well as the kids bedroom where a pipe burst. Position plywood panels at a 2-inch offset from the structural subfloor seams. Call 256-318-0982 or contact us today. ( 55 days transit by sea) What should be the moisture content while loading in Containers? The acceptable moisture levels in basement walls and floors will depend on many factors. Do you have a suggestion? 1. 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. I dont know what to believe except the company who installed the vapor and dehumidifier said the vapor barrier needs to be changed out because of all the sewage and drainage stains after the plumbing is fixed. I suspect the screws may be skewing the measurements. Hi Moisture Experts, My house is 25 years old located in Oregon City OR (near Portland). After all, the wall is in contact with damp soil. Signs Of Moisture In Basement. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. If the conditions are too wet, dehumidify, and if they are too dry, humidify. I have one question with regards to pinless moisture meters and wallboard/Sheetrock. Would it still be 9% for pressure treated wood? This summer I milled several 1.25 boards from a fir log that had been cut around 10 years ago. Avoid unnecessary moisture exposure of all wood components by enclosing the frame against adverse weather as soon as feasible. Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. It constantly absorbs and releases vapour into the . First, test the moisture level of the subfloor. Wagner has a free app called WoodH2O to help you determine the proper moisture levels based on consistent humidity and temperature. The general process for using pin-type moisture meters is as follows. Is this accurate? I would think it would vary depending on the contents. After my inspection I wrote the following report: As per your request, I visited the subject residence today to evaluate mold or fungus growth on the floor joists. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/wpe/files/2016/08/Equilibrium-Moisture-Content-of-Exterior-Wood-in-the-US.pdf, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/, http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html, https://www.spikevm.com/calculators/logging/equilibrium.php, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/, https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=j6WRW76_NdmT0PEPkN29kAc&q=wood+moisture+content+and+mold&oq=moisture+content+and+mold&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i22i30l3.8963.15970, Restoration Expert Says Moisture Management Critical to Health of Any House or Building, Correct Moisture Content: Critical to Your Woodworking Projects, Mckinleyville Middle Schoolers Learning about Wood Moisture Content, Ambient Data Loggers: Peace of Mind in a Box for Wood Flooring Installers, 5 Things Not to Do When Measuring Moisture in Wood Flooring, Alabama Wood Crafters Share Wood Woes When Overlooking a Moisture Meter. The failure in your case sounds as though the piece was exposed to a rapid loss of already low ambient moisture, causing the cracking in the piece. Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. It was such a good read. So what do you think is the ideal moisture% I should dry them to before rotary polishing them? Readings can be elevated if there is a stud directly behind the sheetrock. Instead of addressing the plumbing and damaged wood, they installed a dehumidifier in 2015. In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. What can we do to get the row products closer in moisture content, we are currently using fans, We are in northern lower Michigan I am the general contractor for the house, and want to avoid any problems, would love to talk to you on the phone, my number is 9894647248, Mark Skiba, This is a great site about moisture content. Varying humidity levels can cause wood to lose or gain water and shrink or expand. 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: It causes decay of the wood structure. We really cant overstress the importance of taking plenty of moisture readings. 12% 16% Readings in this range are common to lumber during construction, air dried lumber and healthy residential substructures (beneath first floor in crawl spaces). endstream endobj 79 0 obj <>stream I think mine is +-3% Is it possible being near the door just means greater humidity and there isnt actually a leak? The boards have dried nicely so far with minimal warpage or checking. Many timber-framed floor problems can be traced to moisture levels, excessive loads or borer. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. 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. Because pinless meters scan the woods surface and cover a larger area than pin-type meters, they provide a more thorough picture of the woods moisture content. It gains or loses water moisture as the relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding air changes. We havent gone any further since the condition was found so close to us purchasing the home. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? Im in Milwaukee, wi if that matters. That doesnt make much sense to me. 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. Thank You. Because ventilated crawl spaces throughout the Southeast United States allow high humidity and fungus spores to enter the enclosed space beneath the home. The conversion puts the adjusted MC between 9.5 -> 12%. Best of luck with your project. Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. As it dries, you should expect slight changes in width and length. Copyright - RLC Engineering, LLC. If that is the case you need to remove the flooring and examine the subfloor. 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. What wood do you recommend that does not have a high oil/water content? Live in Tn. Using South Carolina Residential Construction Standards to Solve Problems, Website by Integritive Web Design :: Asheville, NC. 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? Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly. Because of the different materials involved, they will react differently to high heat, thus giving you an un-even plywood surface. The normal outside equilibration moisture content (EMC) for Indiana is anywhere from 13% to 16%. I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. During the summer, moisture content readings above . For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. I wanted to talk to someone at Wagner about moisture guages and is there a dealer near Chattanooga, TN. Ideally Ill wait until reaching final drying but sometimes I need to use wood before that point. Call JADE today for a crawlspace inspection and we can give you definitive answers to your crawl space problems! 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? Hi, we live in a coastal area, had a recent water leak, and a hard wood floor MC is measuring about 25% the water did not contact this area directly. ft., and averaging the results. 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. Can I a cut them first, then glue them once they are dryer? Floor joists are generally 6, 8, 10, or 12 inches in width, with 8 or 10 inches as the most common sizes. The substructure may show decayed areas, ranging from small to very large, of rotten floor joist, sills, and . A mold or mildew odor or appearance on surfaces. Required fields are marked *. You can check for moisture by using a moisture meter. The excess moisture source should be corrected immediately, and monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. This is the standard in the construction industry. You mentioned it was installed just 3 days after it was delivered. Substructures with WMC in this range may show decay or rot in floor joist, sills, and subflooring. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. Kiln-dried wood usually shows a moisture reading of 10% on the outside and then 25% on the inside. If he is using a high-quality product from companies such as Delmhorst, they provide a slide hammer pin attachment, and they need to use insulated-shaft pins. Request Answer. Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. Example: 1.2mm Hickory wear layer 9mm thick plywood compose of 7 layers, 2 layers acacia, 4 layers of Eucalyptus\2 layers Acacia and one layer Poplar. There are two main types of wood moisture meters, pin-type and pinless. I want to use it to build a table and will be moving it to the location where I will work on it shortly. Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. My question is microwaving twice turned bowls what would be the general rule of thumb for a target by weight. board. 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. We are very arid where the tops were built so I figured the tables would be just fine knowing that it is arid where they were goingbut that doesnt seem to be the case. Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! A moisture meter will help verify. Any suggestions .thanks. If this is confusing, dont worry. 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. 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%. 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. Oh no! However, it If the leaks have damaged the sub floor or joists, call a licensed general contractor for repair. I have removed the 1 3/4 edge and resawn to take out the splinter (1/4) re bicuited . Timber logs & Lumber into India company remained actively involved in harvesting and sale of Hardwood logs of Indian origin. You can use our free APP called WoodH2O to help you decide on the best moisture content. Thanks Mark, The EMC outside and the wood should be the same. 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. Obviously, the ambient conditions within which the wood or paper is present can alter the MC% of the wood or paper. One of his own service guys said foundation caps needed to be replaced. The acceptable moisture levels in a crawl space are between 30% and 50%, with under 55% being the ideal. i used my dremel with a shaping bit about 1/8 in to cut vertical slits or vents about an inch deep and a couple of inches tall into the bottom 24 and have kept a commercial floor blower on the wood several hours a day for more than a week yet, the number is not going down. A moisture content that is too high will also slow the cure of the SLu and can affect the subsequent floor finish. Though on occasion, they are made of 2x10s and tripled for additional . Wood Rot in Crawl Spaces: Whats That Smell in My House. However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. Keep monitoring it. Since water conducts electricity and wood doesnt, the dryness of the wood can be determined by the amount of resistance to an electrical current. Hello, Paul here. I have seen home built in the dead of winter, covered in snow, and still dry out enough for a successful home build. The excess moisture source should be corrected if found. I called them back out in August of 2019 because after installing a humidifier and in the prime of humid season, the floors were showing no signs of improvement. Other signs of high moisture readings include surface mold, evidence of water flows in the crawl space, evidence of water stains or evaporation from foundation walls and columns, evidence of condensation on ducts and evidence of water drops impacting the soil under ducts. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods. 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 . Structural flooring for laying direct to joists or battens is a minimum of 19mm thick. The subfloor registered from 12% to 17% . They were installed over existing plywood subfloor. The floor installer put the floors down without allowing the boards to acclimate. The water was there for at most 6 hours, then we vacuumed it all and started the process of drying. What % does it have to get down to before it would be usable to make a table top ? So, to sum up, Moisture in crawlspaces is bad. Working with some slabs of spruce. We have started to import teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia into Europe. Concrete floors. I just bought a live edge slab of Cherry from a local sawmill that was kiln dried. WagnerMeters 1.93K subscribers 3.2K views 1 year ago Hardwood Flooring - Tips & Problems Do you work with wood? As with the hardwood flooring, it is essential to check the OSB's moisture content using a moisture meter. We will be having a deck built off my woodshop. It is also possible high moisture has entered the container during the trip to Europe. Bird, who runs the School of Fine Woodworking outside Knoxville, Tennessee, says he knows wood shrinks seasonally but wants to minimize the shrinkage and expansion by drying the wood to a moisture content of about 8%. Mold growth can be limited if the MC of wood can be kept below 20%. "R. To do so: Make two vertical cuts through the joist a safe distance away from each end of the rotten section. 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. The solution seems to be drying the wood longer & bettter, to a lower measured MC. This weight difference is then used to calculate the woods original moisture content. Perhaps there is something different about the East and West walls. Typical humidity levels inside a home is between 40 to 50%. Since Im drying them outside, being in AK I would like to work with them if possible before the long moist winter. Add 1 to this value and round up the answer to the next whole number: 7.40625 + 1 = 8.40625 9 floor joists. The plumbing was improperly installed with the wrong cement to fit the pipes and could have been leaking from anywhere between 5-29 years while absorbing into the ground. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. Wagner Meters has a couple of resources to help you determine the moisture content more suited to your outdoor environment. Even at this, the estimate would be the high end of MC% prior to shipment, but only rough estimate. i did not waterproof the outside of the curb (kerdi), so the wood got wet. 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. You will want closer to 6% in the drier climates and 9% MC for the more humid climates. Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. 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. It is also a good idea to use a moisture meter after the three weeks just to make sure. This means your crawl space humidity goes up by about 22 degrees. 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. Colorado is cold and dry. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. Most are reading are between 13-15%. A dehumidifier in the crawlspace will help but can be expensive. As a result, the normal moisture meter reading for these materials in between 0.5% and 1%. This is more likely to occur to occur in lower-grade boards, where knots and uneven grains are already present. Mold starts to grow in the mid to high 20 percent moisture contents. Hello Larry I am from Bangladesh. I hope that helps. Room size, L-shaped, is 21.5 x 12.5 and leg of L is 8.5 x 11. Additional care is necessary if laying parallel to the joists and sheet subfloors can sag between the joist. The best way to do this is to use an accurate moisture meter. Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. Do you think that heated floor actually help to dry or do they make things worse and more humid! The thickness of flooring joists themselves will be determined by what's going on top of them. 10? As long as the moisture content does not exceed those readings you should be ok. It seems to me the supplier is drying the Teak to 14% because that is what is needed in Indonesia. There are two main ways of measuring wood moisture content: oven-dry testing and moisture meter testing. https://www.wagnermeters.com/wood-moisture-meters/. Whats an acceptable moisture level for a brick wall in a house? 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. A consistent humidity level of 70 percent will require wood to be about 13 percent moisture content. You mentioned the humidity outside is 55%. Yes, hardwoods such as cherry and walnut should be between 6 and 8% moisture content. 1. Joists that sit below end matched joints must be at least 35mm thick. The other was for a $100 retail gift card. Hello Enjoyed the article. Once the wood samples weight stops changing, its weight is compared to what it was before the drying process began. 16% 20% Readings in this range indicate a possible elevated level of wood moisture. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. Actually floors account for 15% of building heat loss depending on construction. Thanks. I cant speak for the home inspector who has raised concerns, or what his experience level is, but I can assure you that the floor joists beneath this home are no different than 90% of the floor joists I have inspected over the past three decades. 12.5% is gettin there but not quite to the 6-9% mentioned in the article. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). Finally the question I have is I-used your Wood H2O app and the humidity here (outside) is 55% and the temperature is near 70 (inside)am I correct that 10% is what Is the acceptable moisture of the wood should be for furniture building? When it comes to the moisture content of plywood or dimensional lumber, an MC of 17% to 19% reduces the overall strength of plywood, and an MC of 20% or more reduces the strength of dimensional lumber (i.e., lumber cut to certain predefined sizes, such as 2x4s). Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. 0 WM=8DBaHh10tIKR/OH}X5Kpt'_]4Mfg9@w8~ n$R 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. A 212 joist of the same species and quality can span nearly 25'. thanks so much in advance. Use a level to determine if the floor is level within 3/16-inch change per 10 feet. The maximum subfloor moisture level for solid strip flooring or wide-width solid flooring is either 12% or 13%, depending on the manufacturer. Heres how it works. Were in northern Indiana, humid summers long cold winters. Great info! The joists can be longer or shorter as required by space and size, and are typically spaced at either 450mm or 600mm apart. The floor immediately felt stronger. 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. If the subfloor is not acceptable, it can often be overlaid with 1/2 -inch plywood. 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. 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. I-joists are comprised of top and bottom flanges, which resist bending, united with webs, which provide outstanding shear resistance. You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. The front of the . I am having a section of our 3.25 Maple hardwood floor replaced. Lower differential means slower heat loss. At this home, cool objects include the air conditioning ductwork, the ground and the overlying wood floor system, which is exposed to very cool temperatures due to air conditioning duct leakage. Next, check the moisture of new floorboards. The wood will still react in humid or dry conditions. My last Wagner was appropriated by the individual who appropriated other tools out of my old sho. 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. Its more important to understand that the wood is kiln-dried down to a certain bell-shaped range of MCs. 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! hellow! To avoid this problem, wood flooring should never be stored where environmental conditions are uncontrolled, such as garages and exterior patios. Be on the lookout for flooring failures such as swelling, buckling, cupping, etc. Prior to the re-shim, the pier in the area that floods in the spring could be felt pushing up the floor, meaning the beam is warping and been monitoring it. Thanks for the question. Surface molds may develop. The amount of swelling or shrinkage depends on how much the . The more specific way to know would be to measure the relative humidity and temperature in your homes air and then plug the numbers into a calculator like this https://www.spikevm.com/calculators/logging/equilibrium.php This will tell you what the MC% should be based on your specific environment. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. Thanks for any help you can provide! Condensation present on the . In March of this year I had new white oak 2 flooring installed. So, is it really this wet or is our meter over-reading? I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. Should I wait for the slabs to be within that 6-9% to cut and glue? I recently received a call from a Realtor who is selling a home.

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