Was told thats not done. Very educational! I hope that helps. You must be careful with a thick slab once you cut it. . As the humidity decreases, the MC decreases, causing the wood to shrink. In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. . What humidity content should cedar be at for proper gluing. Last reviewed: 12 Sep 2021 Last published: 12 Sep 2021. This means that wood intended for interior use in this location should not only be dried to around 6% but should be kept at this moisture content both before and during the manufacturing process. If the subfloor is not acceptable, it can often be overlaid with 1/2 -inch plywood. However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. Are the measurements of all wood the same? Phil, what are you making with the cedar, and in what type of environment will it be? 78 0 obj <>stream The subfloor registered from 12% to 17% . Since Im drying them outside, being in AK I would like to work with them if possible before the long moist winter. Learn how your comment data is processed. This is all very helpful information, thanks! Not using the correct procedure. This will stop the wet/dry cycle that exists every year, in every ventilated crawl space containing A/C ductwork in the SE United States, over their lifetime. So, when looking at the relative humidity of the space, spaces left above 70% RH for extended periods will also promote mold growth. 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. Understanding the effects moisture has on timber, as well as acceptable moisture levels in wood flooring, will keep your timber floor looking pristine throughout its lifetime. I suspect the screws may be skewing the measurements. meter readings of up to 2.0% and in-slab relative humidity (RH) below 75%. Readings can be elevated if there is a stud directly behind the sheetrock. Your email address will not be published. Wall Construction Flat-or no more than 3/8" in 8' (bulge) But none of the contractors abide by the framing codes, nor do the city officials. We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. Good luck. We just bought a home where we discovered the plumbing was leaking over a number years with a kitchen flood occurring in the last 3-5 years due to a busted water line. Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . 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. Thanks!!! Floors-1/2" in 12' or 3/16" in 4'. Ive been following your in depth blog on moisture meters for around 1 year now. I never obtained a moisture reading above 16%. After reading your article and following comments, my question is : How much does the finish of a wood project for indoor use affect the moisture content? Floors should be: level within a 3mm deviation per 1m for floors up to 6m across (measured at the furthest points across the full width of the floor) a maximum of 20mm out of level for floors over 6m across flat within a 5mm deviation, measured using a 2m straight edge with equal offsets. Why and how can I say this? Seattles EMC ranges from 12.2% to 16.5%. 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. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. If a wooden sample has moisture content range of 2-6% only and if it has moisture content of 9 or 10% then what does this mean?? Why Do So Many Homes Have Cracks in Their Brick Veneer? WagnerMeters 1.93K subscribers 3.2K views 1 year ago Hardwood Flooring - Tips & Problems Do you work with wood? Dryer wood produces more resistance than wetter wood. 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. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? Can I a cut them first, then glue them once they are dryer? There was a board that cracked along a glue line. For example, from 25% to 45% or from 45% to 65%. It will continue to absorb and release moisture until it comes into balance with the surrounding air. 3. A moisture meter will help verify. The angle iron will prevent much warping, and I do plan on finishing all sides (and ends). Sometimes moving the air around is enough to remove moisture and dry surfaces. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. The interior was 3/4 BW the tables dimensions were 40x 70 . Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. Normal moisture content of wood ranges from 7% to 19%. 1 4 But the table will be inside? This building was constructed around 1966 and this little space appears very dry, in spite of a recent leak from an nearby hot water tank. Floor joists are generally 6, 8, 10, or 12 inches in width, with 8 or 10 inches as the most common sizes. Great info! Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! with the spring thaw, i was one of the lucky ones that got water in my basement. ft., and averaging the results. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. 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. If the wood is covered by a material like MDF or other, do we take 2x the measurements? The excess moisture source should be corrected if found. But when you touch the pins to the embedded screws, you get between 14 and 24 % in various areas of the board. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. When wood is subjected to an environment that is higher in humidity, it will swell or expand. You can Google moisture content of wood necessary to support fungal growth and see for yourself. Avoid unnecessary moisture exposure of all wood components by enclosing the frame against adverse weather as soon as feasible. Position plywood panels at a 2-inch offset from the structural subfloor seams. I checked it with my new moisture meter and had a reading of between 8-13.5%. Fungus loves wet wood. Take the readings in at least 20 spots per 1,000 square feet of flooring and average the results. Be notified when an answer is posted. When determining the acceptable moisture levels in wood flooring before installation, the NWFA states that the flooring professional should establish a baseline for acclimation. My builder and flooring contractor asked for me to give the hardwoods a season to acclimate and they would surely move back together in june/july time frame. 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. The excess moisture source should be corrected if found. The floor immediately felt stronger. Wood freshly cut or kiln-dried is always interacting with environmental moisture. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Should I wait? A moisture content that is too high will also slow the cure of the SLu and can affect the subsequent floor finish. we had a problem with our shower curb. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. Kiln-dried wood usually shows a moisture reading of 10% on the outside and then 25% on the inside. Copyright - RLC Engineering, LLC. Hi Larry, So a friend of mine has some pine and oak blabs at MC levels of (oak 11.5%) and Pine 13-14%. I had a quick looked around the crawl space and didnt notice any structure damage. Just across the threshold to a white oak floor installed in ~1914 and the MC is 15%->16%. Other than causing structural damage, too much water can result in mold growth. Good luck. 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. During the summer months, when outdoor humidity is high, the hot/humid air enters the crawl space through the foundation vents and condenses on cool objects. Based on common guidelines or recommendations, the acceptable moisture levels for wood are as follows: Keep in mind that a woods acceptable moisture level will depend primarily on how it will be finally used and the average RH where it will be finally used. Simply put, the post offers some useful information. A 10% moisture content reading means that 10% of a wood samples weight is due to water in the wood. 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. You will also see that the healthy wood moisture levels of 10% - 16% occur when the relative humidity is between 55% and 80% at 70 degrees. 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. How would be the best way to prevent mold from growing on the furniture. 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. And it's important to keep in mind that a glued-up panel behaves basically as one wide piece of lumber. I would think it would vary depending on the contents. The floor installer put the floors down without allowing the boards to acclimate. Add an answer. The size of the lumber used for floor joists is the single greatest determining factor in terms of how far a joist can span. 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. This must be done before attempting to dry out the wood. In all cases, determining the acceptable moisture level of wood requires the use of an extremely accurate moisture meter. Any thoughts as to what the issue was with the first install so we dont have the same issue again next year after we go through a new install? 25-30 - Actual, and often extensive, damage is evident when readings reach this level. Am i looking at mold if i dont rip the floor out? The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. Installers should also measure the moisture in wood subfloors and concrete slabs as they can also affect wood flooring. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. I built the tables in west Texas, but their final home is in Colorado. I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. Hi and good day , I would like to find out what r the right temperature readings for workable wood slabs in South Africa specially Matumi wood slabs. Signs Of Moisture In Basement. My question for you is, now that it is stained, can I still get an accurate MC? Box 1088, Roseburg, OR 97470 Tel. We also have an Orion 950 moisture meter that will automatically give you EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content) and other useful statistics. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. Im in Milwaukee, wi if that matters. Condensation present on the . Thanks in advance for your input! . The purpose of acclimating is to allow the flooring to equalize to the surrounding conditions, no matter how large the room is. 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: You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . We have started to import teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia into Europe. Let's repeat that again. I cant speak for other pinless meters but our Wagner meters are not sensitive to the temperatures you indicated. Yes, the wood can still be read for MC with a stain on it. Because ventilated crawl spaces throughout the Southeast United States allow high humidity and fungus spores to enter the enclosed space beneath the home. Truss Uplift: Who Would Have Ever Thunk It? Is this dry enough that Id be able to reinstall the trim over the particleboard? 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? 541-679-2612 www.Roseburg.com. It is not fair to ask the seller of this home to pay some pest control firm to spray Borate on the floor system. Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. 1= z@ Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. Hi Larry, just finished a black Walnut dining room table back in November. Drying teak hardwood from a humid climate, for use outdoors in a much drier European climate? Kiln-dried timber should be kept dry. 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. I had it milled into 2.25 slabs and I stacked it on a deck area. The difference between the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring shouldn't exceed 4% for solid strip hardwood . A moisture content reading of 25% is borderline to support mold. The amount of swelling or shrinkage depends on how much the . 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. The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. Hello I moved into my new home in June of 2018. All houses now use perimeter foundation so outside contact temperature stays at about 55 F all year. My house was built in 1927. Again, the correct moisture content will depend on the surrounding conditions. 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. Have I been wrong? I have come across this and havent made the purchase from my friend because I am not sure about the warp or breaking it will come. Whats an acceptable moisture level for a brick wall in a house? Specifically in the first 3-4 on one side of the door is 11%, then drops to ~8%. In other words, the water weighs more than the wood fibers. i want to make a headboard from it. There are two main types of wood moisture meters, pin-type and pinless. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What is a Proper Structural Engineering Inspection? Sorry, that time of year. I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. The National Association of Home Builders Green Home Building Guidelines for solid strip flooring and wide-width flooring are as follows: summary Wood flooring installers typically want the moisture content of their wood to be between 6% to 9%. Hello! Thank you. (EMC) than other pieces of wood, depending on its location. My meter tells me anything above 12% is wet but I cannot find any source of leaking or signs of water. Substrates must be protected by: 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. Because ventilated crawl spaces throughout the Southeast United States allow high humidity and fungus spores to enter the enclosed space beneath the home. The EMC of wood or lumber exposed to an outdoor atmosphere varies across the U.S. For instance, in the coastal city of Seattle, the EMC of wood or lumber is higher than the EMC of cities inland or in the Southwest. They many times cite the need for further evaluations by what they call other so called experts. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. This is expensive and its ridiculous. The ceiling in the bedroom above the chimney breast shows signs of damp however doesn't feel damp/moist. Thanks for the question. Had fans and dehumidifer running for 17 days starting 2 days after leak. 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. About how long do you think we should allow the new wood to acclimate in the end use environment before installing it? They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. What do you recommend? Because of the different materials involved, they will react differently to high heat, thus giving you an un-even plywood surface. Replaced the subfloor, which is . (He didnt cite a figure.) My main concern here is that the flooring didnt have enough time to acclimate to the surrounding conditions. First, test the moisture level of the subfloor. The sink vanity is made from typical laminated particle board, and Ive been trying to dry it in place using a dehumidifier and sealing the area off. 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. Use a level to determine if the floor is level within 3/16-inch change per 10 feet. There are two main ways of measuring wood moisture content: oven-dry testing and moisture meter testing. It is not uncommon for wood to expand or contract as much as a 1/8 per foot of width, so maintaining a stable environment is important. 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. For most areas of the United States, acceptable moisture levels of wood and lumber can be in the range of 9% to 14% for exterior wood or for building envelope components within constructed assemblies. Remove Moisture From The Air - If your crawl space has a lot of ventilation, you should be able to set up a large fan in the opening of the crawl space and leave it to run for 10 to 12 hours. The water wasnt properly dried and organic growth was discovered by previous owner. If an interior location has an average RH of 40-52%, wood placed there will have an average EMC of 8-9%. 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!. What % does it have to get down to before it would be usable to make a table top ? Hello Folks, I am new to wood turning and do not have a ready supply of dry/seasoned (my wood is green) wood. As lumber dries, it may split, cup and warp. The crawl space must be a minimum of 18" to the bottom of the floor joists, and the soil in the crawl space covered with a heavy duty plastic moisture barrier, and sealed at the seams. I would like to load eucalyptus and pine wood logs to India . I buy many Artificial Trees for our Stores, which has Wood Stems/Barks, mainly produced in China & Shipped to UAE. Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. Colorado is cold and dry. 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? All Rights Reserved. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. The engineered wood floor appears ok. Standard moisture contents for hardwoods are 6% 9% MC. P.O. A study by Imamura and Kiguchi (1999) showed that wood moisture content in excess of 20% can cause a 5% loss of nail shank diameter in four years and a projected 25% loss in 30 years. I suggested replacing my dehumidifier (Sears brand, bucket collection) which has been inoperable this past year. For example, if the moisture content of the delivered wood is 12% and the optimal MC is 6%, then physical problems will occur during the acclimation process. Your table may have been a little too high in moisture, hence the crack as it dried slightly in the drier environment. The manufacturer of the oil-based poly should have a specification on the maximum allowable moisture content of the wood. I think that I know my own answer, but thought I might reach out for some possible better insight. Hi, in MN where extreme temperatures are very hard on homes. 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. Mold growth can be limited if the MC of wood can be kept below 20%. 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. Typical humidity levels inside a home is between 40 to 50%. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. We have industrial fans going 24/7 to try and dry out the room and also have a dehumidifier running, Ive had the heated floor running in hopes that it could help dry any of the wet wood directly below. In general, all wood products will swell with an increase in moisture content and shrink with a decrease in moisture content. Currently reading a 12.5%. 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. Should it be less? The other thing to consider is examining how water is entering your crawl space. 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.

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