If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. : Mold & Fungus In the Crawlspace. Because of the different materials involved, they will react differently to high heat, thus giving you an un-even plywood surface. 18 years ago the moist content (MC) of the beams and joist was 24% in an area of the crawl space that floods in spring. Having performed multiple (>500) soil moisture and density Sieve and Proctor, so I am well versed in moisture calculations (both add and subtract). 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. Stopping the moisture is much cheaper and easier than repairing the structure. 800-634-9961, or email sales@wagnermeters.com. Some wood you buy from a lumber store can be higher than 14% but typically range between 12-14%. BD-2100 Pin Meter. 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. Specifically in the first 3-4 on one side of the door is 11%, then drops to ~8%. Why Do So Many Homes Have Cracks in Their Brick Veneer? From a strictly static MC%, 16-20% MC for long duration is going to promote mold growth. 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. 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. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. One of his own service guys said foundation caps needed to be replaced. I live in Atascadero CA and had a coastal red oak tree cut down this past summer. I am based in The Netherlands. This is the standard in the construction industry. Structural Repairs Dont Have to Be a Nightmare! Divide that difference by the sum of the on-center spacing of the floor joists: 118.5" / 16" = 7.40625. Thank you. The wood joists are not soaked wet, its just a light film of moisture on the wood members. I will get further testing from those not involved. 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. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. Wood shrinks or swells as its moisture content changes, but only when water is taken up or given off from the cell walls. We dont know if we still have leaks? Signs Of Moisture In Basement. I live on the fl coast so what should the moisture level be? This author has found decay fungi in floor joists at moisture levels of 20% to 25%. Pinless meters also dont leave damaging pinholes on the woods surface. The wood looks awful, and the staining the did is even worse. As the humidity increases, the MC increases, causing the wood to expand. 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. 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. I am shipping teakwood furniture from Indonesia to California. My question for you is, now that it is stained, can I still get an accurate MC? The engineered wood floor appears ok. Logs, siding, shiplap, and T&G must be kiln-dried to stop the wood from shrinking or pulling apart. 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. Im not sure I can really answer this question. They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. This is a perfectly normal moisture content and one that will not support fungal growth. 541-679-2612 www.Roseburg.com. Thanks for the reply. 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. 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 would be the recommended MC for doors of my new building(under construction)? We have a free App called WoodH2O that will tell you the moisture content given certain temperature and humidity conditions. z .XWb*QGF^v4MQ`_dRw{\;\'03Uhx-SeJlc!m\8X^,Z/hU5Ewdzz:`nZ!(7reWD4X. 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. He, of course, said that type of product is insufficient. Why You Should Use Relative Humidity (RH) Testing, Flooring, Millwork, Furniture & Cabinet Manufacturers, How to Choose a Moisture Measurement System for Your Sawmill Buying Guide, Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood Knowing the Moisture Content, Free Download 5 Ways Pinless Moisture Meters Save You Time and Money. A wood moisture content of 47% is too high. Thank you for your very informative knowledge about all of the items on this page. One sheet of plywood is 25% next to a 2X4 truss reading 17-27%. I have been testing the bottom stud/sill board of an exterior wall on a slab of an old house that exposed in order to put a floor in. Moisture contents in wood floor joists in houses with moisture problems are exceeding the 20% maximum level for air dried lumber. Good luck. The acceptable moisture content in wood depends on two factors: These two factors make it difficult to say anything specific about acceptable wood moisture content. The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. The same study showed a 40% loss in joint strength and concluded that a 20% MC may significantly compromise shear resistance of exterior walls. . As with plywood subfloors, if there is movement or squeaks, refasten the subfloor to the joists and set protruding fasteners into the subfloor. I also applied Boracare (boron) that has stopped minor beetle damage. Box 1088, Roseburg, OR 97470 Tel. The size of the lumber used for floor joists is the single greatest determining factor in terms of how far a joist can span. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. 1. in Indonesia there are a lot of raw materials consisting of natural fibers, such as: pandanus, water hyacinth, rattan etc. Too wet and you get fuzzing. If the MC of plywood is above 20%, can it be redried in a kiln or would that harm the glue? Generally the entire floor is dry. Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. Your email address will not be published. Thank you for sharing such valuable information. The lumber was recently milled, although the tree had been cut months, years ago. provide a good substrate for a wide range of wet area finishes. Thank you. Wood moisture content is always varying. Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. The average RH of the environment where the wood will be used. Since Im drying them outside, being in AK I would like to work with them if possible before the long moist winter. Thanks in advance for your input! Allowing the wood to acclimate in the final spot before building, really isnt possible because it is 8 hours away, and I cant take a week off to go up there and build the table. Utilize the chart on following page to record the environmental readings at the time of installation. The general process for using pin-type moisture meters is as follows. What is an FHA Permanent Foundation for Manufactured Homes? Wood used indoors will eventually stabilize at 8-14% moisture content; outdoors at 12-18%. This is more likely to occur to occur in lower-grade boards, where knots and uneven grains are already present. 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. Copyright - RLC Engineering, LLC. Heres how it works. The fastest way to test the moisture content of wood is to use a moisture meter. If decay or WMC readings over 28% are present, find and fix the sources of liquid water quickly. moisture meter testing a floor joist In this image we measure a reading of 37% in this floor joist. A floor joist is a horizontal beam, usually made of wood, that is used to support and enclose the flooring above a foundation. For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. h_k0 r ?c|@+wpF=M^r? ( BzPxgA9P{j]s 3r\WQu\@U.Jy'h{>dccy. Even at this, the estimate would be the high end of MC% prior to shipment, but only rough estimate. Many timber-framed floor problems can be traced to moisture levels, excessive loads or borer. They are returning to remove one plank and take it back to see what they can do to meet my satisfaction. Thats a big difference. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). The floor installer put the floors down without allowing the boards to acclimate. You are correct, furniture grade hardwood is typically dried between 6 to 9%. Simple and regular maintenance can prevent serious problems developing. This water may come from condensation, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, or contact with the soil. Retain this information with your records. What are Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood? 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. It is a 2-3 feet wide wet area that drains to a line connected to the city system. Learn how your comment data is processed. Ideally Ill wait until reaching final drying but sometimes I need to use wood before that point. During the increased average temperatures of spring and summer, timber moisture content reduces to more acceptable levels. Thanks for any help you can provide! As stated, fungal spores are beneath the home because they are in the air we breathe-the same air that gets circulated beneath the home. I am planning an under-house excursion tomorrow. 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. 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. 7. If the wood is covered by a material like MDF or other, do we take 2x the measurements? But this wetness is only surficial. Before installing plywood underlayment, ensure that the existing flooring is thoroughly vacuumed, free from debris, and stripped of wax. The floor (under carpet) had long-term water exposure supposedly from a shower in the adjacent bathroom (according to the plumber). at one spot, its 40%. Limit the length of notches to 1/3 of the joist's depth. I think that I know my own answer, but thought I might reach out for some possible better insight. 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. 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. Does that seem normal. And it really helps to pay an HVAC contractor to better seal and insulate the A/C ducts so they dont leak cold air!!! 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. 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 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. The humidity in the room is currently 40! 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. 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. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. What is a Proper Structural Engineering Inspection? What is the acceptable water/moisture content in cassia bark?- in south east asia. The average annual relative humidity will play the biggest role in determining what the optimal MC should be. Leicester, NC 28748 Wood is hygroscopic. Good luck. The excess moisture source should be corrected if found. 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? Wood Moisture Content (WMC) is often used as an indicator of decay problems in houses. But when you touch the pins to the embedded screws, you get between 14 and 24 % in various areas of the board. My main concern here is that the flooring didnt have enough time to acclimate to the surrounding conditions. Great article! The levels were between 20 and 23%. Thanks for the question. Once the wood samples weight stops changing, its weight is compared to what it was before the drying process began. I checked it with my new moisture meter and had a reading of between 8-13.5%. The optimal humidity in a home is generally 35%-55% and anything under 20% is actually considered unhealthy, as it dries out the skin. 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. to keep the moisture content below 20 percent. 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%. Do you have a suggestion? Does it have another common name? Notice that the EMC of the in-use location is the same as the MC: So, using this chart, we know that in an area of the country where the RH inside a home or office is anywhere from 26-32%, both the EMC of the in-use location and the wood moisture content kept in that location will be 6%.