It is a 2-3 feet wide wet area that drains to a line connected to the city system. This means a very absorbent wood can retain more water, weight wise, the weight of the wood itself. Yes, the wood can still be read for MC with a stain on it. Wonder if they are trying to cover themselves. However, a general rule of thumb is that the basement's humidity level is not over 30 - 50 percent. Thanks for the question. Floor joists transfer loads to the vertical beams of the house. The substructure may show decayed areas, ranging from small to very large, of rotten floor joist, sills, and . I not sure if this is normal, related to the re-shim or need to install a crawl space dehumidifier to slow the progression? Please give us a call at (800) 634-9961 or email info@wagnermeters.com, if youd prefer. Once the wood samples weight stops changing, its weight is compared to what it was before the drying process began. The process is time-consuming but produces accurate results if followed correctly. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). Each piece of lumber is unique and carries physical characteristics that may include the following: knots, warping, shrinkage, swelling and/or splitting. The new wood was brought in in bundles ~2 x 2 x 6 and left that way to acclimate for ~2 weeks. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. i am baffled. 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. He wants to install his companys system, seal all external openings around connections, etc. Longer pins with insulated shafts are designed for the purpose. Oiling the surface does not control the moisture in the wood. Wood freshly cut or kiln-dried is always interacting with environmental moisture. In all cases, determining the acceptable moisture level of wood requires the use of an extremely accurate moisture meter. You may be picking up something behind the sheetrock. Can I get a away with this? Its always a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the finish also. Hello Larry I am from Bangladesh. Your email address will not be published. Both slab-on-ground and suspended concrete floors for wet areas: are deemed impervious when steel trowel finished or polished. Avoid unnecessary moisture exposure of all wood components by enclosing the frame against adverse weather as soon as feasible. If the water leak was bad enough, dry rot can occur causing possible structural integrity issues. 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. Here's a good rule of thumb: Notches should be no deeper than 1/6 the depth of the joist. Should I wait? Brick Veneer Homes: Are They Really Worth the Headache? Am I possibly getting false positives? The supplier says they dry the wood to an MC of 14%, which is according to them the standard for outdoor 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. This pin-type moisture meter is one of Delmhorst's most popular models. Best, Kyle. This can be a problem once installed in furniture or a floor. Accuaracy is of course more important.. Where floor s have been covered by previous floor coverings acceptable values are up to 3.5% and 80% in-slab RH. Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. our question is do we need to replace the floor to avoid fungal problems? i dont understand how the bottom beam looks like swiss cheese from all the holes ive drilled and has had a commercial blower on it for days yet the number is still high despite there being no visible water to keep the wood wet. I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. I also applied Boracare (boron) that has stopped minor beetle damage. My question for you is: after a smallish unheated underground space (similar to a basement, i.e. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. One type of wood moisture meter. i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. 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The acceptable moisture levels of wood and lumber are in the range of 6% to 8% for interior and 9% to 14% for exterior wood or for building envelope components within constructed assemblies. The acceptable wood moisture content normally ranges from 6% to 8% for woodworkers who build cabinets, fine furniture, musical instruments, dishes, toys, decorative art, boat restoration, or various other wood products. >V@Ica4R%f%l&/R*liDqx/nB*?1MH}Su>VeyZ3?>vMLqcwY^U. First, test the moisture level of the subfloor. 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. for a mere $4900. Meanwhile, the reference scale can be used to provide qualitative moisture assessments in other building materials. 2013-10-14 03:14:29. It is best to obtain a wood moisture content that will match the environment. I may have missed this already but I have a few quick questions. Yes, it is possible to have a moisture content reading of 99.9%. A Brick Veneer Crack Tragedy: A True Story, Spraying for Mold on Floor Joists: Pest Control. First of all, it's normal for a below-grade concrete block wall in contact with the soil to have a high moisture content. However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. 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. This is a perfectly normal moisture content and one that will not support fungal growth. I took readings of the moisture of the sub floor at the edges of the wall and it ranged from 5 to 16, problem is i cant take it in the middle of the floor unless i rip the floor out. BD-2100 Pin Meter. If this is confusing, dont worry. However, the company who maintains the dehumidifier said he tested some of the joist which he said only registered 10 on his device. 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 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. Ideally Ill wait until reaching final drying but sometimes I need to use wood before that point. When it hits the cooler air of the crawl space, it increases the relative humidity by about 2% per degree! The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. The wood joists are not soaked wet, its just a light film of moisture on the wood members. Decay fungi need liquid water to grow. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods. I am not aware of a standard moisture content for packaging food or any other product. Here is a link to a calculator and table: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html. Cut in the spring and stacked and dried them over the summer. If that is the case you need to remove the flooring and examine the subfloor. During my visit, I crawled to the four main corners of the crawl space and probed the floor system with an electronic moisture meter during this traverse. I live in coastal South Carolina .we are definitely afraid of mold formation. Good luck. Hello, Paul here. 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. 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. I just bought a live edge slab of Cherry from a local sawmill that was kiln dried. (EMC) than other pieces of wood, depending on its location. While the surface of the floor might feel dry, there could be higher moisture inside. Thats why I think the wood is either not dried to 14%, or it has picked up too much humidity after drying. The thickness of flooring joists themselves will be determined by what's going on top of them. This means your crawl space humidity goes up by about 22 degrees. The moisture content overall is almost always below 20%. The three main sources of moisture: Condensation, Foundation wall transfer, and leaks. If low WMC readings were obtained during the winter, and other signs of high moisture levels are present, obtain additional readings during the summer. You can now understand the meaning of moisture content 5.5%, 15 g/m2/24 hours, and relative humidity 75% with these facts. That is way beyond fibre-saturation. Failure to allow the wood to acclimate or come into balance with the RH at its end-use location could result in any number of moisture-related problems after the wood product is constructed. to keep the moisture content below 20 percent. Treatment levels for timber and timber-based materials used under tiles in wet areas where the waterproofing membrane cannot easily be inspected or maintained should be: H1.2 for timber floor joists and wall framing around showers; H3 (CCA treated) for plywood. Learn how your comment data is processed. What are Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood? And would it be normal for the MC to vary from board-to-board and one end of a board to the other? Best of luck with your project. Hi Larry, So a friend of mine has some pine and oak blabs at MC levels of (oak 11.5%) and Pine 13-14%. Installers should also measure the moisture in wood subfloors and concrete slabs as they can also affect wood flooring. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has a chart that indicates the moisture content of wood at any given combination of temperature and humidity. The water was there for at most 6 hours, then we vacuumed it all and started the process of drying. A contractor is measuring sill plates by driving 2 SS Screws into the wood about 1-1/2 or so inches. 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. Two weeks is sufficient for softwood. The other question is what should the moisture content be on treated lumber that will be for the framing of the deck? These are the "safest" conditions for most types of woodbetween 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% to 50% RH. Acclimation is the process for conditioning the moisture content of wood flooring to the environment where it will be installed. Water Level Survey: Are You Smarter Than an Egyptian? Position plywood panels at a 2-inch offset from the structural subfloor seams. Why Do So Many Homes Have Cracks in Their Brick Veneer? 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. But the table will be inside? In other words, the water weighs more than the wood fibers. Does Brick Veneer Cracking Mean Foundation Problems? 3.Vacuum and/or Wipe Excess Moisture. 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. Using wood with a moisture content above 14% isnt recommended because it may have detrimental long-term effects on the construction. Moisture levels in your crawl space that go beyond 70% lead to mold growth and health concerns. It is important to have the same temperature and humidity during those 2 weeks that will be maintained after installation. Concrete floors. Some wood you buy from a lumber store can be higher than 14% but typically range between 12-14%. Hi Davetta, Youll need to contact a local mold inspection company that is certified. Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. This article is really helpful. Subsequently the woodgrain has reflected in the previously mirror-finish, only on the new panels and we suspect moisture content issues in the wood before it was varnished. if not, can you tell me why? Everyone who works with wood needs to understand how wood interacts with moisture in the environment. Any suggestions .thanks. Failure to do this will result in warping, cracking, and other problems after the construction of the wood product. In your area, wood that has been in an environment to a duration of time would be between 6-11%. The floor (under carpet) had long-term water exposure supposedly from a shower in the adjacent bathroom (according to the plumber). The solution seems to be drying the wood longer & bettter, to a lower measured MC. Divide that difference by the sum of the on-center spacing of the floor joists: 118.5" / 16" = 7.40625. Thanks. In your blog I read that furniture for outdoor is dried to a MC between 9 and 14%. Alternatively, you could set up a crawl space dehumidifier and draw the . Effects of Moisture on I-Joists and LVL April 2007 P.O. 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. 10 14% moisture content is too high. Currently reading a 12.5%. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). For wide-width solid flooring (3 or wider), there should be no more than a 2% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. Typical moisture content for furniture in a home is 6-9%. 15% is too high, at least for hardwoods. 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). in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. . 800-634-9961, or email sales@wagnermeters.com. Your email address will not be published. Do you think that heated floor actually help to dry or do they make things worse and more humid! If the MC of plywood is above 20%, can it be redried in a kiln or would that harm the glue? guide-standards-tolerances.pdf. Thank you. You mentioned the humidity outside is 55%. Please commenr? Cut out a portion (approx 1/2" I think) from the top of the floor joists. Before installing plywood underlayment, ensure that the existing flooring is thoroughly vacuumed, free from debris, and stripped of wax. What % does it have to get down to before it would be usable to make a table top ? There was a board that cracked along a glue line. However, it Wood in buildings usually has a wood moisture content of 5% to 15%. 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%. If the humidity is a constant 76% then the wood will equilibrate between 14 and 15% moisture content. board. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. So, i had one installed a few weeks after we met. Want this question answered? Cracks in Concrete Slabs: Should I Be Concerned? The home inspectors working for fees today seem to have one primary motive in mind: to cover their liabilities. If after the inspection we find that your sagging floor joists need support or your home's foundation needs repair we may recommend using IntelliJack, JES Helical Piers, or JES Push Piers. I have one question with regards to pinless moisture meters and wallboard/Sheetrock. 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. (As a percentage) Basically the chimney breast (in bedroom and downstairs room) has been measured with a digital moisture meter and states 'OL' on the display, the surrounding walls measure between 0.4% and 1.2%. The floors have started cupping across the entire area with more in some parts. Does it have another common name? While oven-dry testing, if followed correctly, offers accurate results, there are a few drawbacks: These three drawbacks mean that oven-dry testing usually isnt the option of choice for hobbyists who work with wood. 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. Its never constant. I would like to load eucalyptus and pine wood logs to India . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Including some high-end species like Rosewood, ebony, Mahogany, White Cedar, Bija Sal, Walnut, Gmelina, etc. Whats the Difference Between a Home Inspection and an Engineering Inspection? Back to top. Additional care is necessary if laying parallel to the joists and sheet subfloors can sag between the joist. 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. 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. The pins are pressed into the wood to obtain a reading. A 212 joist of the same species and quality can span nearly 25'. Is this accurate? They many times cite the need for further evaluations by what they call other so called experts. Wood used indoors will eventually stabilize at 8-14% moisture content; outdoors at 12-18%. Most types of wood species will mold above 25% moisture content, including pine. In this case, what Built in # that I can use to measure flooring. Yes, our moisture meters read MDF. If an interior location has an average RH of 40-52%, wood placed there will have an average EMC of 8-9%. 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? During the summer months in the northeast region, wood subfloors and floor joists often measure 19. Its mc is 11- 12% . We are checking moisture levels in several areas each day. Stopping the moisture is much cheaper and easier than repairing the structure. Spruce isnt a hardwood so Im assuming I could get away with a shorter dry time. I really appreciate your treatise on this matter. Too wet and you get fuzzing. I think mine is +-3% Is it possible being near the door just means greater humidity and there isnt actually a leak? Your cost could be more or less, depending on the size of the floor area. Thank you for your very informative knowledge about all of the items on this page. I recommend one of our Orion models: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. We have had an abnormally wet spring and part of summer. Just across the threshold to a white oak floor installed in ~1914 and the MC is 15%->16%. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. 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. Any input would be most appreciated. 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. 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. Turn on the meter. Am i looking at mold if i dont rip the floor out? Substructures with WMC in this range may show decay or rot in floor joist, sills, and subflooring. 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. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep moisture away from materials that expand and contract. Great article! Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. The angle iron will prevent much warping, and I do plan on finishing all sides (and ends). Substrates must be protected by: Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? A moisture meter will help verify. The ideal moisture content will depend on the humidity indoors. 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. Its more important to understand that the wood is kiln-dried down to a certain bell-shaped range of MCs. Please help with T%, I have seen where 30% moisture loss by weight is a good rule of thumb to shoot for. I was able to get the MC down to 15%. They are putting desiccants in the container to absorb the moisture but we feel its going to be a long time enclosed in the container without any air circulation. A 10% moisture content reading means that 10% of a wood samples weight is due to water in the wood. My plan is to make a wall-mounted headboard out of angle iron and these boards (boards will not be joined). The ceiling in the bedroom above the chimney breast shows signs of damp however doesn't feel damp/moist. If I dry too much, theres discoloration and breakage of product during polishing. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. 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. Hello and thanks for writing in. There are water stains on the particle board floor, but the flooring felt completely dry a few minutes after the reading was taken (I didnt see the reading being taken), the floor looks dry in the plumbers photo, the particle board flooring is not noticeably swollen, and it certainly has no flaking or other signs of disintegration or lessening to its structural integrity. Specifically in the first 3-4 on one side of the door is 11%, then drops to ~8%. 1. I suspect the screws may be skewing the measurements. of the average flooring moisture content that is being laid). 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. The excess moisture source should be corrected immediately, and monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. The wood and varnish appear otherwise pristine, uncracked and not bubbled or clouded in any way. You should be ok as long as the moisture content does not get worse (higher). 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. These home inspectors are insecure and inexperienced. The definitions section of the IICRC S500 current edition describes dry-standard: "a reasonable approximation of the moisture content or level of a material prior to a water intrusion," drying goal: the target moisture content or moisture level in a material to be achieved at the end of the drying process established by the restorer. If youre wondering how wood can have a 200% moisture content, heres how that works. As with the hardwood flooring, it is essential to check the OSB's moisture content using a moisture meter.