Thats a big difference. Ideally, it should be between 7% and 9%. This means the weight of the water exceeds the weight of the wood by itself. As the humidity increases, the MC increases, causing the wood to expand. The solution seems to be drying the wood longer & bettter, to a lower measured MC. This method uses the oven-dry method and then compares the results to those obtained using a moisture meter. 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. Call 256-318-0982 or, Engineering Inspection Mortgage Companies, Unnecessary Panic! 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. Chris. The cause that may produce this will be discussed in the section "Biodeteration of flood". Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. 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. Moisture levels in your crawl space that go beyond 70% lead to mold growth and health concerns. Thank you for the well described article. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. Signs Of Moisture In Basement. It seems to me the supplier is drying the Teak to 14% because that is what is needed in Indonesia. Position plywood panels at a 2-inch offset from the structural subfloor seams. You can use our free APP called WoodH2O to help you decide on the best moisture content. Both slab-on-ground and suspended concrete floors for wet areas: are deemed impervious when steel trowel finished or polished. Not using the correct procedure. The rim joist and floor joist sit right on the block. Here is a link to our moisture meters, thermo-hygrometer, and Smart Logger. We have had an abnormally wet spring and part of summer. 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. To do so: Make two vertical cuts through the joist a safe distance away from each end of the rotten section. The air vents stay closed year round. we had a problem with our shower curb. Simple and regular maintenance can prevent serious problems developing. Waterproof membrane . I have some black walnut and cherry that Ive milled and want to make some charcuterie, cheese, bread boardsetc with, would the 6 8% dryness apply to this or what would you recommend? Currently the RH is 76%, the residence RH will be set at around 35%. You mentioned the humidity outside is 55%. If the humidity is a constant 76% then the wood will equilibrate between 14 and 15% moisture content. We just had a hydrometer installed in the crawlspace and it is reading 38% as of today. Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. I think that I know my own answer, but thought I might reach out for some possible better insight. However, the wood species and the thickness or size of the wood may also factor in. An MC in this range, therefore, is considered sufficiently dry for exterior in-service wood. 2. 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 is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment. I really need to know as I am getting so many different opinions Thanks. https://www.wagnermeters.com/wood-moisture-meters/. 3. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. Leicester, NC 28748 Use a wet/dry shop vacuum, sump pump, or rags to clean up standing water or excess moisture from the floor and from the surface of the wood. We are checking moisture levels in several areas each day. 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. If humidity levels in the crawlspace with all these measures taken place is above 60% the joist and the subfloor will have a high MC reading. 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? Hi Larry, just finished a black Walnut dining room table back in November. Logs, siding, shiplap, and T&G must be kiln-dried to stop the wood from shrinking or pulling apart. If the leaks have damaged the sub floor or joists, call a licensed general contractor for repair. A subfloor needs to be clean, dry, level and structurally sound. Is this dry enough that Id be able to reinstall the trim over the particleboard? Oiling the surface does not control the moisture in the wood. However, the company who maintains the dehumidifier said he tested some of the joist which he said only registered 10 on his device. Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. primer, the moisture vapor transmissions rate (MVtr) from the substrate should not be in excess of 5 lbs. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. This weight difference is then used to calculate the woods original moisture content. To avoid this problem, wood flooring should never be stored where environmental conditions are uncontrolled, such as garages and exterior patios. 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. Two questions I need a reliable, easy to use meter that can cover all species as I now have a portable mill and that can be used for treated. 3.Vacuum and/or Wipe Excess Moisture. I am not sure if this is pressure treated wood given its an exterior wall and if that affects what these numbers are. 1. in Indonesia there are a lot of raw materials consisting of natural fibers, such as: pandanus, water hyacinth, rattan etc. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . The excess moisture source must be immediately corrected, and the situation carefully monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. It is possible, in some species, to have a moisture content higher than 100 percent. The excess moisture source should be corrected immediately, and monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. Good moisture content for hardwoods is 6% to 9% moisture. h26P0Pw/+Q0L)66 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. Im not sure I can really answer this question. Actually floors account for 15% of building heat loss depending on construction. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. One note is that we did have some fungus growth in our crawlspace during the construction phase prior to the crawlspace being sealed and had the contractor come and spray and clean the floor joists and subflooring where applicable. Im down to ~13-19% MC near floor level, based on a cheapo moisture meters readings. If any of these conditions occur, tell your installer right away. Thanks for the reply. In March of this year I had new white oak 2 flooring installed. Please help with T%, I have seen where 30% moisture loss by weight is a good rule of thumb to shoot for. Should I wait? This only occurs when wood changes moisture content below the fibre saturation point. )IS0i 1P *V? U? Room size, L-shaped, is 21.5 x 12.5 and leg of L is 8.5 x 11. I do not have a hygrometer or a moisture meter as I am a hobbyist. Thank You. 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! I have a couple questions. 28% and above Readings in this range are often accompanied by decay damage. Moisture was around 25% when milled, and the ends were sealed. Wall Corners-Perpendicular within 1/4" in 10'. Unless something is so out of whack shimming in back of the sheetrock won't suffice it's OK here. As a general guideline, an emission rate of 1.4 kg/100m (3 lbs/1000 ft) or less is considered acceptable for most floor coverings. 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. For example, from 25% to 45% or from 45% to 65%. There is over three foot of block above grade around the entire house. Wood Moisture Content is the weight of water in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of oven dry weight of wood. 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? Normal moisture content of wood ranges from 7% to 19%. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). WagnerMeters 1.93K subscribers 3.2K views 1 year ago Hardwood Flooring - Tips & Problems Do you work with wood? 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. You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . They are in an unheated and currently very cold barn The moisture ranges from 11% -16% according to my meter. I just bought a live edge slab of Cherry from a local sawmill that was kiln dried. For more information, see our article comparing Pinless Moisture Meters vs. Pin Meters. The levels were between 20 and 23%. I hope that helps. Why and how can I say this? Would it still be 9% for pressure treated wood? 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. 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 recently received a call from a Realtor who is selling a home. 2-1/4", the moisture content between the flooring planks and the subfloor should not exceed 2%. Floors-1/2" in 12' or 3/16" in 4'. I would like to rip two slabs and glue them together to make a nice large dining room table. The new wood was brought in in bundles ~2 x 2 x 6 and left that way to acclimate for ~2 weeks. /U (li7":-JOBHO,9UY) /P 65492 >> endobj 14 0 obj << /S /GoTo /D [ 15 0 R /Fit ] >> endobj 27 0 obj << /S 45 /T 91 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 28 0 R >> stream I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. Different joinery (currently using pocket holes)? Higher values could mean a wet or saturated material. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. wood using pins while the MDF uses pinless? Ev Does Brick Veneer Cracking Mean Foundation Problems? Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. Drying teak hardwood from a humid climate, for use outdoors in a much drier European climate? The next question is almost the same as before, if we have various kinds of wood, such as March wood, mango wood, pine. Continue reading MC in the home. However, the ideal humidity range in some climates may be higher or lower. We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. There was a board that cracked along a glue line. But the table will be inside? 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%. Having performed multiple (>500) soil moisture and density Sieve and Proctor, so I am well versed in moisture calculations (both add and subtract). However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. It causes decay of the wood structure. The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. A high reading in one area indicates a problem that must be corrected. I wanted to know if is there any standard which specifies the acceptable range of moisture content for wood used in packaging industry like pine wood. The Las Vegas EMC of wood or lumber ranges from 4.0% to 8.5%. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. This would depend on the expectations of the person receiving the product in India, how large of diameter the logs are, and some average estimate of what the conditions would be inside the container during the 55 days. Im in Milwaukee, wi if that matters. Box 1437 Wood is a hygroscopic material that contains water, even after it is cut from a tree. 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%. You will want closer to 6% in the drier climates and 9% MC for the more humid climates. The boards have dried nicely so far with minimal warpage or checking. This will drastically speed up the drying process. Structural Repairs Dont Have to Be a Nightmare! Eventually, this internal moisture will evaporate by itself. Also, the glue manufacturer should ideally give you some specifications for max and min moisture content. There is no balancing layer on the reverse of the panels which might obstrust breathing of the panel. Cut out a portion (approx 1/2" I think) from the top of the floor joists. 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. Be notified when an answer is posted. Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. Wide-spread and often extensive moisture damage occurs in residences across the state of South Carolina and elsewhere in the Southeast due to the regions warm, humid climate. In contrast, Las Vegas in the drier Southwest has much lower EMC percentages than most other U.S. cities. Hello I moved into my new home in June of 2018. The wood will still react in humid or dry conditions. Will the reading be accurate? 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. Below 12% Readings in this range are common to kiln or oven dried woods and furniture grades of wood, and represent dry conditions. Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. Just press the scanning plate against the woods surface, turn on the meter, and receive the reading. The thickness of flooring joists themselves will be determined by what's going on top of them. I built the tables in west Texas, but their final home is in Colorado. I have seen home built in the dead of winter, covered in snow, and still dry out enough for a successful home build. Your contractor may use something called a moisture meter to see what the approach should be for joist damage, or it may be more obvious based on the appearance of the wood. 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. The floor immediately felt stronger. Mold starts growing if the moisture contents reaches about 25% moisture content. Sometimes moving the air around is enough to remove moisture and dry surfaces. board will move 3 times the amount as a 4-in. Thank you for your very informative knowledge about all of the items on this page. P.O. The subfloor registered from 12% to 17% . Thank you. If the MC of plywood is above 20%, can it be redried in a kiln or would that harm the glue? On a hot, humid summer day, the air venting into the crawl space could be as much as 75% relative humidity and 85 degrees. Thanks for the question. 2. The acceptable moisture levels in a crawl space are between 30% and 50%, with under 55% being the ideal. A termite repair company (also licensed contractors) told me that I needed to replace the planks on my second story deck. I also applied Boracare (boron) that has stopped minor beetle damage. Wood shrinks or swells as its moisture content changes, but only when water is taken up or given off from the cell walls. Crawl Space Inspections: Once a Year Keeps the Contractors Away! Cheers, Howard Pruden in Edmonton, Alberta where its cold and dry. We are manufacturer of eng wood flooring. 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. However, it One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. Lower differential means slower heat loss. I recommend one of our Orion models: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. Pinless meters also dont leave damaging pinholes on the woods surface. Copyright - RLC Engineering, LLC. If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. Yes, hardwoods such as cherry and walnut should be between 6 and 8% moisture content. Take the readings in at least 20 spots per 1,000 square feet of flooring and average the results. I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. Hope that helps. 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. Ideally Ill wait until reaching final drying but sometimes I need to use wood before that point. When exposed to a constant RH, the moisture content of wood or lumber will come to equilibrium with its environment, resulting in an EMC for that species of a wood-based composite. Thats why I think the wood is either not dried to 14%, or it has picked up too much humidity after drying. i want to make a headboard from it. Next, check the moisture of new floorboards. Please give us a call at (800) 634-9961 or email info@wagnermeters.com, if youd prefer. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. Thank you so much for your time and expertise. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods.