I have a question. Hello I moved into my new home in June of 2018. -XF% So, i had one installed a few weeks after we met. A dry reading will be 16% MC (Moisture Content) or below. Pinless meters also dont leave damaging pinholes on the woods surface. 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. You will however, need to become familiar with reading your local floor joist span tables for floor beams, floor joists, window and door lintels, ceiling joists, roof joists, roof rafters, and roof ridge beams, as well as the sizing and spacing of wood studs tables. Condensation on the inside of a windowpane. Why and how can I say this? Larry Loffer is a senior technician at Wagner Meters, where he has over 30 years of experience in wood moisture measurement. This document describes the meaning and use of readings from a wood moisture meter. 1 4 We havent gone any further since the condition was found so close to us purchasing the home. A consistent humidity level of 40 percent will require wood to be about 8 percent moisture content. this is an interesting read I landed upon as I was searching for MC in wood items. The size of the lumber used for floor joists is the single greatest determining factor in terms of how far a joist can span. Im in Milwaukee, wi if that matters. I have used spar urethane as a finish on a few other 12 to 18 MC (semi-wet) log projects that turned out wonderfully. 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. Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. Can I get a away with this? Keep indoor humidity low. Live in Tn. I am planning an under-house excursion tomorrow. I recommend one of our Orion models: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. The acceptable moisture levels in basement walls and floors will depend on many factors. It is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment. Alternatively, you could set up a crawl space dehumidifier and draw the . Check joints and bottom plates as moisture can get trapped here. Should I add a vapor barrier to floor joists under crawl space - Quora The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. 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%. This is based on a chart in Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. 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. Thanks! They many times cite the need for further evaluations by what they call other so called experts. Is it possible to get a 99.9% moisture reading (using a Cassain GM-200 hydrometer) on a particle board floor which looks and feels completely dry? (EMC) than other pieces of wood, depending on its location. During the summer months in the northeast region, wood subfloors and floor joists often measure 19. This water may come from condensation, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, or contact with the soil. Whats an acceptable moisture level for a brick wall in a house? Not using the correct procedure. Many thanks for your advice, really appreciate it! 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. Characteristic of this wood easy to absorb of water and have large open pore. 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. It will be there for a few months before I begin working on it. Its never constant. guide-standards-tolerances.pdf. What is a 'normal' moisture level for a shower? - Houzz I-joists are comprised of top and bottom flanges, which resist bending, united with webs, which provide outstanding shear resistance. 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. I am not aware of a standard moisture content for packaging food or any other product. About how long do you think we should allow the new wood to acclimate in the end use environment before installing it? We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. 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?? Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. Under the floor. The fir windows and exterior doors will be affected by the the exterior and interior RH. However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. 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%. Water was coming out of this outlet and onto the floor? A Guide to Subfloors Used Under Wood Flooring Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! I cant speak for the home inspector who has raised concerns, or what his experience level is, but I can assure you that the floor joists beneath this home are no different than 90% of the floor joists I have inspected over the past three decades. Accuaracy is of course more important.. Your table may have been a little too high in moisture, hence the crack as it dried slightly in the drier environment. 2-1/4", the moisture content between the flooring planks and the subfloor should not exceed 2%. Would it still be 9% for pressure treated wood? Insert the pins into the surface of the wood you want to test. They many times cite the need for further evaluations by what they call other so called experts. Typically, allow about 3 weeks for hardwood to acclimate in the environment. Pros and cons of wet area floor finishes - Level 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-!) First of all, it's normal for a below-grade concrete block wall in contact with the soil to have a high moisture content. The boards have dried nicely so far with minimal warpage or checking. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. This is all very helpful information, thanks! Substructures with WMC in this range may show decay or rot in floor joist, sills, and subflooring. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Thank you, In wood products manufacturing, 6-8% is pretty much the norm, at least in North America. 25-30 - Actual, and often extensive, damage is evident when readings reach this level. 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. Wood exposed to air with a RH of about 90% will reach a Wood Moisture Content of about 20%. 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. My question is microwaving twice turned bowls what would be the general rule of thumb for a target by weight. In general, 12% moisture or above is too wet to install flooring. Good luck. There are areas where organic growth was very active to cause deep, black discolorization. The wood and varnish appear otherwise pristine, uncracked and not bubbled or clouded in any way. This pin-type moisture meter is one of Delmhorst's most popular models. Next, check the moisture of new floorboards. In your blog I read that furniture for outdoor is dried to a MC between 9 and 14%. How to use a moisture meter properly - BT Preservation | Damp For solid strip flooring (less than 3 wide) there should be no more than a 4% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. 12.5% is gettin there but not quite to the 6-9% mentioned in the article. A company sealed off the foundation vents and removed all the insulation from the crawlspace with the humidifier mitigating the moisture from the leaks. You can determine the correct percent moisture content by using our free app called WoodH2O. z .XWb*QGF^v4MQ`_dRw{\;\'03Uhx-SeJlc!m\8X^,Z/hU5Ewdzz:`nZ!(7reWD4X. The wood sample being tested is dried in a special oven or kiln and its weight periodically checked. I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. I really need to know as I am getting so many different opinions Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated. Your email address will not be published. What would one expect to read in plywood subfloor and old growth pine floor joist? It was such a good read. Currently the RH is 76%, the residence RH will be set at around 35%. Hello! 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. I am having a section of our 3.25 Maple hardwood floor replaced. Learn the Basics of Floor Joist Spans - The Spruce The reading was sky high in the pan and up two tiles high on the wall. Also, there is a risk of mold. Divide that difference by the sum of the on-center spacing of the floor joists: 118.5" / 16" = 7.40625. Effects of Moisture on I-Joists and LVL - Roseburg A moisture meter will help verify. Wood is a hygroscopic material that contains water, even after it is cut from a tree. 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. 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. Were so sorry for the inconvenience. The process is time-consuming but produces accurate results if followed correctly. The interior was 3/4 BW the tables dimensions were 40x 70 . My house is 24 years old. Which Orion moisture meter model would you suggest for my application? 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. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods. A floor joist is a horizontal beam, usually made of wood, that is used to support and enclose the flooring above a foundation. I would think it would vary depending on the contents. 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. So, when looking at the relative humidity of the space, spaces left above 70% RH for extended periods will also promote mold growth. Set the meter to the species that makes up the bulk, in this case, the plywood. Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. I-Joist - APA - The Engineered Wood Association - APAwood.org You can now understand the meaning of moisture content 5.5%, 15 g/m2/24 hours, and relative humidity 75% with these facts. tolerances for floors/walls - Structural Inspections - InterNACHI Forum Question for the expert: i recently replaced a toilet that had a leaky wax ring. Wagner Meters has a couple of resources to help you determine the moisture content more suited to your outdoor environment. A Brick Veneer Crack Tragedy: A True Story, Spraying for Mold on Floor Joists: Pest Control. 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. Let's repeat that again. . Yes, the wood can still be read for MC with a stain on it. PDF Moisture and Wood-Frame Buildings - Healthy Heating 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. And it's important to keep in mind that a glued-up panel behaves basically as one wide piece of lumber. Subtract the width of your floor joist from your floor's length: 120" 1.5" = 118.5". A contractor is measuring sill plates by driving 2 SS Screws into the wood about 1-1/2 or so inches. How To Control Crawl Space Moisture + Humidity Softwoods, such as spruce, can have more moisture. Grain orientation matters To make sure the wood is properly dried, he always uses a moisture meter before working with it. Down pour of rain onto underlayment of attached garage. It is also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . my question is, is there a possibility that the wood will shrink because of the weather condition?the wood that we used for the door frames and bidding is beechwood. 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! 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. Am I possibly getting false positives? You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. Hello Larry I am from Bangladesh. Everyone who works with wood needs to understand how wood interacts with moisture in the environment. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content.