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. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. My thought is maybe to get one of your meter for greater accuracy? Because pin meters work on the principle of electrical resistance, the current temperature of the material being tested can have a significant impact on the accuracy of moisture testing. 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. You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . I have Suar wood from Indonesia and want use to indoor furniture, how range the Moisture Content allowance for this wood. With that in mind, and similarly to what we said about drywall, concrete must remain dry and damp free. Hope this helps. Readings below 12% indicate superlative quality firewood. Hi, we live in a coastal area, had a recent water leak, and a hard wood floor MC is measuring about 25% the water did not contact this area directly. Please provide us with regular updates. It was such a good read. Generally speaking, moisture meters that are calibrated for wood offer a reading scale ranging from 6% to 40%. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. The company they hired measured 47% in the wood and declares that this must be ripped out and replaced. Generally speaking, the moisture content detection range of a hay meter is between 6% to 40%, though there are some meters that go higher or lower. Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. We will be having a deck built off my woodshop. We want to get someone out with a better reader to test the floors as well. The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. The water eventually came out a electric outlet located three inches off the floor. In other words, dense mixes of concrete allow less moisture to penetrate the slab than lighter ones. 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. How would be the best way to prevent mold from growing on the furniture. Over a year ago, I re-shim all the piers with metal shims. To avoid this problem, wood flooring should never be stored where environmental conditions are uncontrolled, such as garages and exterior patios. Its presence isnt always bad; rather, in many cases, its useful. Working with some slabs of spruce. Can I a cut them first, then glue them once they are dryer? Using a moisture meter with a pin, the previously wet area received a 14% reading. However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. The amount of water is determined by subtracting the dry weight from the initial weight. Jerry, From a moisture standpoint, water in the basement can over time absorb into your subfloor. The ennoLogic Moisture Meter eH710T allows you to measure many different types of materials for moisture content, including wood, drywall, carpet, concrete, and many more. You should be ok as long as the moisture content does not get worse (higher). So make sure to check the baseline regularly and verify if its still reliable for your tests and checks. Targeted moisture content will vary from region to region. The water wasnt properly dried and organic growth was discovered by previous owner. Even the best moisture meters can produce inaccurate readings if the meters arent used properly. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Thank you. Why would flaws in the material being tested matter? Would the screws skew the measurements? This means that when we were talking about the normal readings for drywall, we assumed that your moisture meter was calibrated for drywall and had a specific reading scale for drywall. 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. Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). These problems can be easily avoided if you know the woods moisture content. The fir windows and exterior doors will be affected by the the exterior and interior RH. all concrete) is framed and sheetrocked (though not mudded or sealed in any way) is then the studs are tested for humidity, what would be a reasonable level here in Seattle, living approximately 100 yards Puget Sound? In order to see if a masonry structure has a safe damp percent, you need to use a moisture meter for every component that is in the structure, and if only one of them shows high values, then the whole masonsry can be considered as damp and needs an intervention. 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. In general, a reference scale goes from 0 to 100, where 0 is bone dry and 100 is saturated. The solution seems to be drying the wood longer & bettter, to a lower measured MC. With pinless meters, surface moisture can spoil the contact between the meter and the material being tested. When the moisture content is around 30%, wood reaches its fiber saturation point or FSP. I have built two table tops (douglas fir) that have both suffered major cracking in their final location. because if the moisture meter indicated 40% of water content in lumber, it means that it is already saturated and compromised. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(196934, 'e0b23ea6-dba6-4e9a-9a5a-da5fd4d40a3c', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Sign up now to receive updates on our latest blogs and news. If you find higher values, then your drywall might already have a high MC that could spread and damage the entire board. Hi Larry Thanks for your expertise! Our expert restoration team are carefully selected and screened and then fully trained to give them a deep understanding of products and procedures and help them provide top-quality services at all times. With the WoodH2O-app I could deduct the EMC for The Netherlands would be between 15 and 16. However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. Standard moisture contents for hardwoods are 6% 9% MC. i want to make a headboard from it. Thanks for the email. Thanks for the question. I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. In your area, wood that has been in an environment to a duration of time would be between 6-11%. In most of the U.S., when the wood is outdoors but protected from the rain, the wood will attain an EMC of 12% when the RH is 65%. For many industries, its very necessary to determine moisture content. These moisture meters have what is called a reference moisture reading scale. Thanks for writing in. My last Wagner was appropriated by the individual who appropriated other tools out of my old sho. I wanted to talk to someone at Wagner about moisture guages and is there a dealer near Chattanooga, TN. How to test moisture /water content in cassia bark? 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. Checking the MC of masonry work requires checking every component with a dedicated moisture meter. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. Our Orion 950 Smart Pinless Wood Moisture Meter is the best in the industry and trusted by professionals. The house was not in the flood area however they did receive 20 inches of rain. 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. 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. We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. 10? Ideally, you want to check the EMC in the area you will be working on your slab, along with the area it will live in. As said earlier, wood has a great water-holding capacity and can have way more than 40% moisture content. If your reading is over 20%, you may need to replace the drywall entirely. Seattles EMC ranges from 12.2% to 16.5%. Moisture meters can be used on: Carpet; Wallboard; Wood; Brick; Concrete; Because mold often grows where moisture is high, a moisture meter can help an investigator locate hidden areas of mold growth. They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Applying a wood species correction to the moisture test results is necessary for ensuring accurate readings. Is your electrical outlet that is 3 inches above the floor inside the house? If youre willing to accept a moisture reading with +/- 5% accuracy, you can probably get away with buying a cheap meter in the $25-50 range. Your ideal MC will also depend on the outdoor humidity levels. Acclimation is the process for conditioning the moisture content of wood flooring to the environment where it will be installed. Be on the lookout for flooring failures such as swelling, buckling, cupping, etc. We havent gone any further since the condition was found so close to us purchasing the home. The floors would not read (the are thick laminate). To the right, 13.2% in the same distance and also drops to ~ 8% after. we are presently constructing a new timber frame residence on ocean front in BC, Canada. I suggested replacing my dehumidifier (Sears brand, bucket collection) which has been inoperable this past year. Im trying to find specs on treated lumber for NC. Furniture grade wood is typically dried to a target of 6%-9%. Good moisture content for hardwoods is 6% to 9% moisture. Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. I strongly recommend using a moisture meter, along with a thermo-hygrometer, or even a smart logger before you start building, to ensure the wood is at an optimal moisture content in an environment that has an acceptable relative humidity and temperature range. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Wood is not supposed to be that damp and therefore if you encounter such high values, you need to start immediately looking for water leaks and other possible moisture sources. Best of luck with your project. Hi, in MN where extreme temperatures are very hard on homes. i used my dremel with a shaping bit about 1/8 in to cut vertical slits or vents about an inch deep and a couple of inches tall into the bottom 24 and have kept a commercial floor blower on the wood several hours a day for more than a week yet, the number is not going down. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? Why? In most cases, the moisture can be more appropriately imagined as humidity rather than collected water. Wagner Meters has a couple of resources to help you determine the moisture content more suited to your outdoor environment. I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. Well-constructed drywall should have a moisture content below 1%. The process is time-consuming but produces accurate results if followed correctly. In other words, the wood was either too wet or too dry. What % does it have to get down to before it would be usable to make a table top ? I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. What do you recommend the reader to be at before insulation and drywall on new construction? Did the Contractor mention anything about the structural strength of the joists? Moisture meters are highly reliable instruments that measure moisture levels inside substrates and materials and provide accurate readings to within been than 0.1%. While pinless moisture meters arent as susceptible to inaccuracy from changes in material temperature, they can be affected by flaws in a material. Moisture meter readings of between 12% and 18% indicate dry, safe to burn firewood. Were building a new home and have a roof leak. We dont know if we still should be having a commercial drying process? In fact, according to M. Steven Doggett, Ph.D. LEED AP, the founder of Built Environments, Inc., wood moisture content as high as 15% can cause corrosion of metal fasteners and at 16% may lead to fungal growth. Seal the holes with a sensor sleeve and cap to allow them to acclimate for the next 24 hours. Thank you for sharing such valuable information. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. But there are other moisture meters that have reference scales ranging from 0 to 300. Yes, the wood can still be read for MC with a stain on it. A general rule of thumb for the coastal regions of FL would be 11-13%MC. I have seen home built in the dead of winter, covered in snow, and still dry out enough for a successful home build. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. Less than 1%. 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. 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. Damage to a moisture meter can have a significant impact on the meters accuracy. What readings are normal when checking the components of masonry? Even at this, the estimate would be the high end of MC% prior to shipment, but only rough estimate. This is the standard in the construction industry. When using a reference scale moisture meter, it can be helpful to take a moisture reading from a sample of material that you know is dry before conducting further tests. 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. We utilize advanced technologically to deliver effective results! Also, the glue manufacturer should ideally give you some specifications for max and min moisture content. Any thoughts as to what the issue was with the first install so we dont have the same issue again next year after we go through a new install?
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