Types of Log Moisture Meters. When installing hardwood floors, check the moisture content of the finished hardwood and the wood subfloor. We are checking moisture levels in several areas each day. In the wood scale, the meter can detect moisture accurately over a range of 6% MC to 40% MC. Freshly cut wood has a lot of moisture in it. Relative Humidity Test Using Probes (ASTM F 2170) This method involves drilling a hole into a concrete floor and inserting an electronic meter into it, or embedding the meter in the concrete before it has cured. Thanks. Brick Stone Concrete Stucco Tile Mortar Plaster Cement Mudbrick Granite. So if you want to use a drywall reference scale, start by applying the moisture meter to drywall that you know for sure is dry. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). It is also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. The rule of thumb is that any moisture reading over 16% is considered damp and needs attention. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. The house was not in the flood area however they did receive 20 inches of rain. Phil, what are you making with the cedar, and in what type of environment will it be? It is important to have the same temperature and humidity during those 2 weeks that will be maintained after installation. Very simple and understandable. Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! The conversion puts the adjusted MC between 9.5 -> 12%. 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. Generally speaking, moisture meters that are calibrated for wood offer a reading scale ranging from 6% to 40%. Americas Leading Water Damage Restoration & Mold Remediation Company. From agriculture, to lumber manufacturing, to water damage restoration, to construction, there are many applications that rely heavily on moisture testing to produce optimal end results. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. wood using pins while the MDF uses pinless? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. A high reading in one area indicates a problem that must be corrected. 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%. The hay scale range generally remains between 6% to 40%. Hello! Hardwood flooring needs to acclimate at least 2 weeks, in service conditions, before it is installed. This can be a problem once installed in furniture or a floor. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Wood flooring will also shrink or expand with moisture changes; even small changes can produce significant effects. All Wagner moisture meters are factory-calibrated and ready to be used. Ideally, it should be between 7% and 9%. The best range of moisture for interior furniture projects is usually 6% to 8% moisture content, with interior softwood millwork tolerating a slightly higher moisture content. Subfloor material such as plywood or OSB should measure between 10 and 14% moisture content. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. Pinless moisture meters are sensitive to variations in wood density (also known as specific gravity). The floor installer put the floors down without allowing the boards to acclimate. I was able to get the MC down to 15%. I get some water seepage through an exterior wall at basement floor level as a result of heavy rain. The average RH of the environment where the wood will be used. If he is using a high-quality product from companies such as Delmhorst, they provide a slide hammer pin attachment, and they need to use insulated-shaft pins. According to Dr. Gene Wengert, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wood should be dried to a moisture content thats within 2 percentage points of the EMC of the location where it will be used. Even the best moisture meters can produce inaccurate readings if the meters arent used properly. Was told thats not done. Just across the threshold to a white oak floor installed in ~1914 and the MC is 15%->16%. The fir windows and exterior doors will be affected by the the exterior and interior RH. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. In general, a moisture value of 0-15% is not a reason for alarm. Thanks for any help you can provide! Because pinless meters are calibrated using specific gravity as the standard for measurement, random changes in SG for a material can impact the accuracy of their moisture readings. 12.5% is gettin there but not quite to the 6-9% mentioned in the article. Can I a cut them first, then glue them once they are dryer? As a rule of thumb, you should expect the following ranges for dry materials: Mortar: 1% 4% Plaster: 0.5% 1% Concrete: 0.5% 1% Stucco: 0.5% 2%. 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. Wood is hygroscopic. The manufacturer of the oil-based poly should have a specification on the maximum allowable moisture content of the wood. In other words, to check the humidity in drywall using a meter calibrated for wood, you must first switch the instrument to the drywall reference scale. They said if i wanted to spend the money, a humidifier would help keep the humidity inside the house more consistent throughout the year. Your ideal MC will also depend on the outdoor humidity levels. National Water Damage Restoration & Mold Remediation Experts. But when you touch the pins to the embedded screws, you get between 14 and 24 % in various areas of the board. Treated wood is typically still wet when its delivered to the job site. The most common cause is metal hidden in or behind the material being checked. ft. Clean out the holes using a wire brush and vacuum. Condensation can be a sign of high humidity. A must read article! Hope this helps. Everyone who works with wood needs to understand how wood interacts with moisture in the environment. The acceptable moisture content in wood depends on two factors: The wood's final use. The moisture reading scales are designed to determine a specific, quantitative amount of moisture content (%MC) in a particular type of material. I did not find any information on Matumi. The same goes for wood, concrete, and plaster. We are in Oregon, USA, Pacific Time Zone. There are dedicated wood moisture meters. About 5/16 penetration into the wood measures 8% using pins only. Set the meter to the species that makes up the bulk, in this case, the plywood. Turn on the meter. This has the potential to cause a host of problems. Who knew that so much detail goes into the wood, right? Most are reading are between 13-15%. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. What readings are normal when checking the components of masonry? There are different types of moisture meters and each type is for a specific purpose. Do you have a suggestion? In this article, Ill discuss in detail how to interpret different moisture scales. 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. What would one expect to read in plywood subfloor and old growth pine floor joist? Three years ago, the floor sank in a heavy traffic area and an engineer told me Masonite was used to shim and had compressed. These include warping, cracking, buckling, diminished wood strength, corrosion of fasteners, and even fungal growth. If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes act quickly to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source. I think that I know my own answer, but thought I might reach out for some possible better insight. Now if you are testing e exterior wood that has direct contact with the surrounding humidity, you can tolerate values that are up to 20%. Thanks Mark, The EMC outside and the wood should be the same. if a reading of 30% in engineered wood should it be replaced possible mold ? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The moisture content of wood is defined as the ratio of the weight of the water in the piece of wood to the weight of the piece of wood without the water. You wrote that 15% humidity may induce mold? I hope this helps. So what to do if you cant find a dedicated moisture meter for bricks, mortar, or stone? Thanks. A moisture meter is therefore not the ideal tool to evaluate damp in a concrete slab. Lacquer will not make a reading difference as long as there are no metallic components in the lacquer itself. Im on a grade-level concrete slab, and the water made its way over (under the tiles) to my sink vanity. This week, I notice the next pier on the same beam is starting to push up, warping the floor. This will hopefully save you lots of time searching different resources and tell you what values require intervention in order to stop dampness from spreading before it becomes challenging and incurable. If you know such International or Amercan or any other standard please let me know. Because of the different materials involved, they will react differently to high heat, thus giving you an un-even plywood surface. I had it milled into 2.25 slabs and I stacked it on a deck area. At lower temperatures, the resistance of a material increases. I want to use it to build a table and will be moving it to the location where I will work on it shortly. I would like to rip two slabs and glue them together to make a nice large dining room table. My question for you is, now that it is stained, can I still get an accurate MC? Seal the holes with a sensor sleeve and cap to allow them to acclimate for the next 24 hours. It is best to obtain a wood moisture content that will match the environment. 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. Additionally, some meters also offer a third scale for readings of gypsum. Im not sure I can really answer this question. I am happy to assist but some critical questions must be addressed first. Do you see any dangers of using poly with a MC of around 12, or am I risking adhesion failure especially if the wood does end up shrinking dimensionally? Colorado is cold and dry. A contractor is measuring sill plates by driving 2 SS Screws into the wood about 1-1/2 or so inches. A change this big will be easy to see. Some examples of things that can impact the accuracy of moisture testing include: Why and how do these factors affect moisture meter readings? Should I wait for the slabs to be within that 6-9% to cut and glue? My house is 24 years old. 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. We utilize advanced technologically to deliver effective results! 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. Each piece of lumber is unique and carries physical characteristics that may include the following: knots, warping, shrinkage, swelling and/or splitting. Its never constant. I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. Including some high-end species like Rosewood, ebony, Mahogany, White Cedar, Bija Sal, Walnut, Gmelina, etc. Tile: Moisture rising from the subfloor can break down the adhesive beneath the tiles. The moisture content of raw materials used for the paper should remain in a particular range to prevent deterioration. Were building a new home and have a roof leak. If a drywall board weighing 100 pounds contains 1 pound of water, then the moisture content of the board is 1/99 (~1%). The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Any opinions. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There are areas where organic growth was very active to cause deep, black discolorization. Now would the pine be okay to use as a top cover piece to an radiator cover? My thought is maybe to get one of your meter for greater accuracy? Im down to ~13-19% MC near floor level, based on a cheapo moisture meters readings. -Mandi in Austin, Texas. So, when looking at the relative humidity of the space, spaces left above 70% RH for extended periods will also promote mold growth. 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. These scale readings can range from 0.2 to 50% moisture content. Log Moisture Meter Readings: What Is Normal? 1. There will most likely be some shrinkage, so if possible, choose the clearest boards possible to lessen the possibility of any major cracking. I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. This is based on a chart in Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. It does the same for wood, and is especially hard on softwoods, such as pine or fir. Good moisture content for hardwoods is 6% to 9% moisture. with the spring thaw, i was one of the lucky ones that got water in my basement. 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. Third, because there are many types of wood with different structures and textures and therefore different moisture-holding capacities. Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. The EMC of wood or lumber exposed to an outdoor atmosphere varies across the U.S. For instance, in the coastal city of Seattle, the EMC of wood or lumber is higher than the EMC of cities inland or in the Southwest. One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. isnt it? Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. This gives you a comparison point for future referenceallowing you to more reliably identify moisture-compromised materials. in other words, the formula to calculate the moisture content of something is: This way, if the moisture content of a 13-pound block of wood in 30%, it simply means that there are 3 pounds of water in the block and when the block in dry, it only weighs 10 pounds. Thank you so much for your time and expertise. The next question is almost the same as before, if we have various kinds of wood, such as March wood, mango wood, pine. A portable soil moisture meter is designed specifically for the purpose of determining the levels of moisture present in compost, vegetation, and soil. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. This means a very absorbent wood can retain more water, weight wise, the weight of the wood itself. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Your reading of 12.5% tells me it is workable. The solution is to use a reference scale. Since the cold weather has come on, the organic growth has gone dormant, but a contractor noticed joists with distinctive moisture content where there are definitive separations between dry and wet looking wood. Moisture meter readings of 15-20% at the lower center of the transom on the inside and 15-17% on the lower center of the transom on the outside. The BD-2100's drywall moisture meter readings are accurate in gypsum to moisture content percentages as low as 0.2% and as high as 50%. The door is NE facing and protected from direct Sun light and rain by a porch roof. The levels were between 20 and 23%. With that in mind, and similarly to what we said about drywall, concrete must remain dry and damp free. I am shipping teakwood furniture from Indonesia to California. All other readings 10% or less. Is it safe to put new insulation and drywall up or does it need to dry out more? 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. In general, a moisture content between 4% and 10% is considered normal for concrete kept indoors in a temperature-controlled environment. Different wood? The EMC is higher in coastal areas, including parts of Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and island climates. Outside of these ranges, hardwood floors might start . In most cases, this isnt a major issue. Simply put, the post offers some useful information. Damn those shop classes I didnt take. Instead, it just means that the moisture content of the material represents 20% of the reference scale. Remember, wood experts, say that moisture is to blame for at least 75% of all failed wood projects. ie SW=Starting weight, TW=Target weight, using T%=Target percentage My calculation ( T% X SW = TW). Posted by Different joinery (currently using pocket holes)? In these high moisture and more humid locations, wood indoors can reach a 12% EMC, while wood outdoors can attain a 16% EMC. Therefore, lumber intended for interior use should be dried to a moisture content of approximately 6% to 8% and kept at this moisture content both before and during manufacturing. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . I have seen home built in the dead of winter, covered in snow, and still dry out enough for a successful home build. There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. However, theyre somewhat slower at testing moisture over large areas and the pins/electrodes may be prone to breaking when forced (though most meters make replacing broken pins easy). Copyright 2023 Delmhorst Instrument Co. How to Understand Moisture Meter Readings for Accurate Results, two primary methods by which moisture testing, current temperature of the material being tested, moisture meter for water damage restoration, moisture meters for water damage restoration. Your table may have been a little too high in moisture, hence the crack as it dried slightly in the drier environment. Its hard to gauge anything off of a cheapo meter, but if and I mean if, we were to assume it was reading effectively, the numbers are too high. We must use a reference scale. Required fields are marked *. A high-quality moisture meter used on the right material can be accurate to within less than 0.1% of the materials moisture content by weight. The water eventually came out a electric outlet located three inches off the floor. What does a reading of 999 mean? However, even a shrinkage this small maybe only several thousandths of an inch can cause after-construction gluing problems, especially with cracks and joints. For glue-down systems, the concrete slabs relative humidity level should be 75% or lower before installation. the curb is built with 3 2/4s stacked on each other. If you need further clarification http://www.nwfa.org is an excellent source. #2. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. I have a wood floor that is showing 99% m.c.in some areas.Other areas its 40% its inconsistent through out the home.Theres no cupping or crowning.However along the exterior walls there is some discoloration.What could be going on here? Please commenr? Pin-type meters are also sensitive to the woods chemical makeup, which varies according to species. Normal moisture content of wood ranges from 7% to 19%. Most of it will dissipate. The boards have dried nicely so far with minimal warpage or checking. WME? Hi Ron We need an expert locally to diagnose what went wrong with our bamboo floors. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. Check out this video by YouTuber WagnerMeters to see how to use a drywall moisture meter: As the name suggests, the hay scale moisture meter is used for detecting the moisture content of hay. Hello Larry I am from Bangladesh. It is best to replace the particle board subfloor. This chart highlights the ideal levels of moisture in wood at various temperatures and relative humidity (RH) levels: In this chart, you can see a small highlighted section. Damage to a moisture meter can have a significant impact on the meters accuracy. Moisture meters are subject to false positive readings for a number of reasons that are well documented in the industry. In the bathroom, the ceiling read at 40% moisture. For example, if the temperature in the room is around 80 F, and the RH is 50%, then a safe level of moisture in the wall would be about 9.1% MC. Finally the question I have is I-used your Wood H2O app and the humidity here (outside) is 55% and the temperature is near 70 (inside)am I correct that 10% is what Is the acceptable moisture of the wood should be for furniture building? So a cheap $25-50 pin type moisture meter is good for firewood.
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moisture meter readings what is normal