. Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. Most are reading are between 13-15%. Were looking to replace the floor in an old (unheated) hay barn with treated tongue & Groove 26 flooring and need to know if the advertised 19% MC will be ok and not shrink too much. Moisture content (MC) in raw slabs can take additional time to reach its Equilibrium Moisture Content. Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent mold from getting on the wood? Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. Its more important to understand that the wood is kiln-dried down to a certain bell-shaped range of MCs. I have removed the 1 3/4 edge and resawn to take out the splinter (1/4) re bicuited . First, test the moisture level of the subfloor. . Learn the Basics of Floor Joist Spans - The Spruce If any of these conditions occur, tell your installer right away. Therefore, just because the wood is kiln-dried doesnt mean it has lost the ability to absorb moisture. 541-679-2612 www.Roseburg.com. All houses now use perimeter foundation so outside contact temperature stays at about 55 F all year. Sagging or Uneven Floors Solutions. Wood Moisture Content (WMC) is often used as an indicator of decay problems in houses. According to Dr. Eugene Wengert, professor and specialist in wood processing at the University of Wisconsin-Madisons Department of Forestry, wood should be dried to a water MC thats within two percentage points of the EMC where the wood is going to be used. h26P0Pw/+Q0L)66 To do so: Make two vertical cuts through the joist a safe distance away from each end of the rotten section. 3. The door is NE facing and protected from direct Sun light and rain by a porch roof. With the WoodH2O-app I could deduct the EMC for The Netherlands would be between 15 and 16. Learn how your comment data is processed. Im on a grade-level concrete slab, and the water made its way over (under the tiles) to my sink vanity. Its never constant. 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. 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. The other thing to consider is examining how water is entering your crawl space. This pinless meter is accurate, Ive got 2 other pin moisture meters and all 3 of them read within only 1-3% difference as checked on wood structures. If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. We have had very bad cracking in sheetrock and floors. The inspector said his meter reading taken from my basement on subflooring/joists/framing was too high. or finally the product will be placed where. The SG setting is on the card that comes with the meter. . This pin-type moisture meter is one of Delmhorst's most popular models. 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. My question is regarding finishing. 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. Floor levels and clearances | BRANZ Weathertight 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. This can lead to rising damp, dry rot, timber decay, fungal growth and borer. 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. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has a chart that indicates the moisture content of wood at any given combination of temperature and humidity. Repair is often required when WMC readings are in this range. When the wood neither gains nor loses moisture, we say that the wood has reached its equilibrium moisture content (EMC). Thanks. Great article! Should it be less? Different joinery (currently using pocket holes)? There is no balancing layer on the reverse of the panels which might obstrust breathing of the panel. You can Google moisture content of wood necessary to support fungal growth and see for yourself. We havent gone any further since the condition was found so close to us purchasing the home. of the average flooring moisture content that is being laid). Pinless moisture meters are even easier to use. we had a problem with our shower curb. Heres how it works. 800-634-9961, or email sales@wagnermeters.com. Floor Joist Sizing and Span In Residential Construction - Weekend Builds Hi Larry, So a friend of mine has some pine and oak blabs at MC levels of (oak 11.5%) and Pine 13-14%. 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 also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. thanks so much in advance. Call JADE today for a crawlspace inspection and we can give you definitive answers to your crawl space problems! Signs Of Moisture In Basement. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. We have had an abnormally wet spring and part of summer. Your cost could be more or less, depending on the size of the floor area. If your subfloor is a wood product, make sure the reading is less than 20% on the moisture meter. 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. Its mc is 11- 12% . However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. Larry: I recently had my annual termite inspection. One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. As with any wood product, the environment where the finished product will Live will determine the correct moisture content. Because the moisture content of wood is equal to the weight of the water in the wood divided by the weight of the wood without the water, its possible for the moisture content to exceed 100%. ft., based on a standard AStM F-1869 (Calcium Chloride) test, or 80% rh, based on AStM F-2170. Please help with T%, I have seen where 30% moisture loss by weight is a good rule of thumb to shoot for. 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%. Unless something is so out of whack shimming in back of the sheetrock won't suffice it's OK here. My main concern here is that the flooring didnt have enough time to acclimate to the surrounding conditions. During the summer, moisture content readings above . Because ventilated crawl spaces throughout the Southeast United States allow high humidity and fungus spores to enter the enclosed space beneath the home. Should I wait? I have 1 1/2 thick cherry boards that I had milled from a tree in my yard last fall. Last reviewed: 12 Sep 2021 Last published: 12 Sep 2021. The purpose of acclimating is to allow the flooring to equalize to the surrounding conditions, no matter how large the room is. Very simple and understandable. 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. So, to sum up, Moisture in crawlspaces is bad. I will get further testing from those not involved. 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. Characteristic of this wood easy to absorb of water and have large open pore. It seems to me the supplier is drying the Teak to 14% because that is what is needed in Indonesia. 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. Do you think that heated floor actually help to dry or do they make things worse and more humid! 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. Larry Loffer is a senior technician at Wagner Meters, where he has over 30 years of experience in wood moisture measurement. PDF Specification for Solid Timber Flooring Installation, Sanding - ATFA 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. With a concrete subfloor you should use a digital hygrometer, which needs to be left in place for at least 24 hours. 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. Hi Larry, We are a joinery company and we have a project here in UAE which is located in another part of the emirates and the humidity in that area is very high especially during summer because it is near the coastal area. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. Im in Milwaukee, wi if that matters. i am baffled. Live in Tn. Thank you. 1= z@ In March of this year I had new white oak 2 flooring installed. Thanks for the email. We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. moisture will typically measure 7-10%. Crawl Space Moisture and Hardwood Flooring - Stover's Liquidation The amount of swelling or shrinkage depends on how much the . Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. What Moisture Content is Safe for Your Building Materials - Delmhorst A11 - Substrate Testing - Floor Covering Reference Manual WagnerMeters 1.93K subscribers 3.2K views 1 year ago Hardwood Flooring - Tips & Problems Do you work with wood? i did not waterproof the outside of the curb (kerdi), so the wood got wet. A wood moisture content of 47% is too high. I had it milled into 2.25 slabs and I stacked it on a deck area. 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. Does that seem normal. Thanks Mark, The EMC outside and the wood should be the same. This water may come from condensation, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, or contact with the soil. In this case, what Built in # that I can use to measure flooring. In other words, the water weighs more than the wood fibers. I buy many Artificial Trees for our Stores, which has Wood Stems/Barks, mainly produced in China & Shipped to UAE. Effects of Moisture on I-Joists and LVL - Roseburg Although, in this example, the moisture content of the timber rarely goes above 17%, it is not uncommon for winter moisture contents, in pitched roofs, to peak above 25%. I suggested replacing my dehumidifier (Sears brand, bucket collection) which has been inoperable this past year. Moisture levels in your crawl space that go beyond 70% lead to mold growth and health concerns. Perhaps there is something different about the East and West walls. Here is a link to our moisture meters, thermo-hygrometer, and Smart Logger. Once the wood samples weight stops changing, its weight is compared to what it was before the drying process began. What is "Acceptable" Dry? | 2021-06-02 | Restoration & Remediation Magazine Because wood shrinks and warps as it dries, woodworkers want it to be pre-shrunk before they use it. ie SW=Starting weight, TW=Target weight, using T%=Target percentage My calculation ( T% X SW = TW). You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . Wood Moisture Content is the weight of water in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of oven dry weight of wood. Each piece of lumber is unique and carries physical characteristics that may include the following: knots, warping, shrinkage, swelling and/or splitting. 16% 20% Readings in this range indicate a possible elevated level of wood moisture. Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. Summers are hot and dry while winters can be cool. 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. I never obtained a moisture reading above 16%. https://www.wagnermeters.com/wood-moisture-meters/. That is still quite a wide range. 11 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 15 /H [ 1017 209 ] /L 26721 /E 14333 /N 2 /T 26383 >> endobj xref 11 18 0000000016 00000 n 0000000724 00000 n 0000000820 00000 n 0000000963 00000 n 0000001226 00000 n 0000001393 00000 n 0000001566 00000 n 0000001771 00000 n 0000002827 00000 n 0000002934 00000 n 0000004271 00000 n 0000005322 00000 n 0000005517 00000 n 0000007871 00000 n 0000007949 00000 n 0000009756 00000 n 0000001017 00000 n 0000001206 00000 n trailer << /Size 29 /Info 10 0 R /Encrypt 13 0 R /Root 12 0 R /Prev 26373 /ID[<2277e06d91c56aa37caf41071ab29f47><2277e06d91c56aa37caf41071ab29f47>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 12 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 9 0 R /PageMode /UseThumbs /OpenAction 14 0 R >> endobj 13 0 obj << /Filter /Standard /V 1 /R 2 /O (D+K\r,s\n?$+%{Nhjp-!) If the leaks have damaged the sub floor or joists, call a licensed general contractor for repair. The excess moisture source should be corrected immediately, and monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. I removed an of the foam insulation. The other was for a $100 retail gift card. The chart below will clear things up. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. There are areas where organic growth was very active to cause deep, black discolorization. These varying humidity levels of the surrounding air cause wood to not only gain or lose water moisture but to expand or shrink as well. A moisture content reading of 25% is borderline to support mold. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. They are in an unheated and currently very cold barn The moisture ranges from 11% -16% according to my meter. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? What is a Normal Reading on a Moisture Meter? All Materials Covered Here is a good source for mold and wood: 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..206760.0..0.100.1475.25j10.1..gws-wiz..0..0j0i131.PkfEQYRef9I. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. Here is a link to a calculator and table: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html. If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. How to Level a Floor - Lowes Below a 17% MC of wood, virtually no microbial growth will occur on even the most susceptible materials. My question for you is, now that it is stained, can I still get an accurate MC? P.O. I have a couple questions. Chris. This is a perfectly normal moisture content and one that will not support fungal growth. Other than causing structural damage, too much water can result in mold growth. "Mold requires moisture to survive, so protecting lumber and wood structures from moisture will prevent mold growth. look forward to your comments. Production, storage, delivery and construction and in-use conditions that will prevent exposure to external or internal moisture or conditions that would allow the moisture content to exceed 18% at any time: Untreated Douglas fir: Framing in a low-risk building and meeting the requirements of B2/AS1 paragraph 3.2.2.2: Where there is a risk of . They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. After you remove the old flooring, you'll need to ensure the subfloor is properly prepared before laying the new vinyl, hardwood or laminate flooring. Good luck. Timber logs & Lumber into India company remained actively involved in harvesting and sale of Hardwood logs of Indian origin.

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