You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. The electrical current will then move from pin to pin and measure the resistance encountered. 3. Good luck. I checked it with my new moisture meter and had a reading of between 8-13.5%. It can even cause warping and cracks in the finish. Before we begin, lets first clarify what moisture content means. Moisture meters come with various modes for testing different types of material. Heres how that works: If the airs RH is 40% and the temperature is 68F, the wood will eventually attain an EMC of just under 8%. Less than 1%. It uses a reference scale and does a comparison with dry materials to determine the amount of moisture present. Working with some slabs of spruce. My question for you is: after a smallish unheated underground space (similar to a basement, i.e. Hardwood flooring needs to acclimate at least 2 weeks, in service conditions, before it is installed. Sorry, that time of year. If you don't see a reading after 60 seconds, remove the probe, gently wipe it down, and try again in a different location. Thanks for the very informative post. My question for you is, now that it is stained, can I still get an accurate MC? Simply put, the post offers some useful information. However, kiln drying is used to speed up the process. on Feb 13, 2019 12:44:17 PM. Thanks for the email. The floors would not read (the are thick laminate). Since wood is hygroscopic, it loses or gains moisture depending on the relative humidity of the surrounding air. Even at this, the estimate would be the high end of MC% prior to shipment, but only rough estimate. There are two ways of dealing with this issue: A moisture meter with insulated pins will only release electricity from the tips of the electrodes. A moisture measuring device (MMD) can be used to detect the concentration of moisture in a building material. We are in Oregon, USA, Pacific Time Zone. The interior was 3/4 BW the tables dimensions were 40x 70 . 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. So what to do if you cant find a dedicated moisture meter for bricks, mortar, or stone? 2. Any opinions. I had a redwood deck, and they replaced it with Douglas fir (without my approval, but thats another issue). There are two primary methods to determine moisture levels in drywall: using a moisture meter or calculating humidity levels. Most types of wood species will mold above 25% moisture content, including pine. The new wood was brought in in bundles ~2 x 2 x 6 and left that way to acclimate for ~2 weeks. Select The Correct Mode. As youd might imagine, they have their own pros and cons. Im down to ~13-19% MC near floor level, based on a cheapo moisture meters readings. The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. I am planning an under-house excursion tomorrow. I have a question. I just bought a live edge slab of Cherry from a local sawmill that was kiln dried. We dont know if we still should be having a commercial drying process? I did not find any information on Matumi. Pin-type moisture meters are also sensitive to the chemical makeup of wood, which varies from species to species. The reading was 22 percent on the meter. In these high moisture and more humid locations, wood indoors can reach a 12% EMC, while wood outdoors can attain a 16% EMC. Lets go over the basics of each, Oven dry testing is the oldest method for measuring the moisture content of wood. 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. Why You Should Use Relative Humidity (RH) Testing, Flooring, Millwork, Furniture & Cabinet Manufacturers, How to Choose a Moisture Measurement System for Your Sawmill Buying Guide. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . I am glad to know about these things about moisture meters on this blog. Hi Ron- just purchased a home n PA and had the roof inspected which showed a leak on the plywood directly under the shingles. 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! Some moisture meters use a range from 0-100 and others use a range from 0-300. To the right, 13.2% in the same distance and also drops to ~ 8% after. 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 is critical for reproducible, accurate readings. Well-constructed drywall should have a moisture content below 1%. Any advice would be appreciated. The 50% RH level would be at the higher end of normal interior EMC values. Oh no! we had a problem with our shower curb. 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. Hi Ron, My BF moved into a downstairs apartment that is very shaded (2 miles from the beach). Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. Over time, your hardwood floor can become discolored. I am not aware of a standard moisture content for packaging food or any other product. Like with moisture reading scales, its important to check that the appropriate species correction is applied before starting to test for moisture in wood. There are dedicated wood moisture meters. Drywall (or gypsum) is not as delicate as wood. Great article, thanks for the info. I am extremely worried about this as we also found mold on his wood furniture but not on the walls. Hello Enjoyed the article. Any input would be most appreciated. For nearly all interior wood applications (and even some outdoor ones), wood needs to be dried to a moisture content appropriate for the environment where it will ultimately be used. However, the wood species and the thickness or size of the wood may also factor in. As we have already mentioned on different occasions, all the values that we have discussed so far in this article are for dedicated moisture meters. Walls in homes with healthy humidity levels typically have a moisture reading between 12-15%. Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It comes with Bluetooth, an app for your smart device, an RH sensor, and an EMC calculator. Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. Before installing carpet, you will need to dry the subfloor first. Americas Leading Water Damage Restoration & Mold Remediation Company. Subfloor material such as plywood or OSB should measure between 10 and 14% moisture content. Generally, wood scales are calibrated to cover a range from 6%-40% moisture content. 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. Would you be able to say anything about the optimal MC range for this specific situation? 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? There will most likely be some shrinkage, so if possible, choose the clearest boards possible to lessen the possibility of any major cracking. at one spot, its 40%. could you please guide or on how much should be the Expected Humidity % in high Humid areas like UAE considering these are mostly for Indoor purpose where ACs are on 247 at say 24 Degrees. However, the company who maintains the dehumidifier said he tested some of the joist which he said only registered 10 on his device. The solution? Over time, a moisture meter may, through repeated use or accidental damage, fall out of calibration and start generating erroneous moisture testing results. For paper manufacturers, determining the moisture content is very necessary to produce papers of good quality. A consistent humidity level of 40 percent will require wood to be about 8 percent moisture content. 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%. An inexpensive $25-50 pin type meter is good for measuring firewood. i did not waterproof the outside of the curb (kerdi), so the wood got wet. To avoid this problem, wood flooring should never be stored where environmental conditions are uncontrolled, such as garages and exterior patios. Longer pins with insulated shafts are designed for the purpose. But be careful here, the values showing on a reference scale do not represent the moisture content of the material under test. When the moisture content is around 30%, wood reaches its fiber saturation point or FSP. We want to get someone out with a better reader to test the floors as well. Our house in on a crawl space in GA, and its been pretty humid the last couple days which is when it read a little over 20%. Normal moisture content of wood ranges from 7% to 19%. Thanks for the question. According to Dr. Gene Wengert, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 75% of all wood manufacturing and quality issues are related to moisture content. Drier materials like drywall . I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. In general, a moisture value of 0-15% is not a reason for alarm. 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. So what is a normal reading on a moisture meter? While the surface of the floor might feel dry, there could be higher moisture inside. Gareth, Im not sure that the 23% MC reading is accurate; it sounds pretty high, but nonetheless, it appears as if you dont have a problem, but if you have concerns about possible mold, I suggest you also contact NORMI, https://www.normi.org and see if they can help you locate a certified inspector near you. Different joinery (currently using pocket holes)? 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%. There is no balancing layer on the reverse of the panels which might obstrust breathing of the panel. They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. So we are seeking redress, but there are jacks present underneath the home which the home inspector didnt report either and didnt know if this was extra support for the water heater or what. When questioned, he said because Room is under 200 sq feet it is not a problem. The wood looks awful, and the staining the did is even worse. However, even with large moisture changes, wood barely shrinks or expands at all along the grain. As a result, the normal moisture meter reading for these materials in between 0.5% and 1%. This affects the moisture-holding capacity of the slab and what MC% is considered safe and acceptable. It is also possible high moisture has entered the container during the trip to Europe. 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. These scale readings can range from 0.2 to 50% moisture content. In other words, the water weighs more than the wood fibers. For boundary materials, the values vary depending on the physical properties of what you are testing. Do you have any recommendations of a local professional we could hire to review the situation and provide an opinion? Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. In other words, the wood was either too wet or too dry. If you need to use a moisture meter, then you must have a clear idea about the chart and the different types of moisture reading scales. They were installed over existing plywood subfloor. Therefore, all pin-type wood moisture meters should ask the user to input the type of wood before taking a reading. It is also a good idea to use a moisture meter after the three weeks just to make sure. You mentioned the humidity outside is 55%. As the name implies, pin-type moisture meters have 2 or more pins that penetrate material. We have had very bad cracking in sheetrock and floors. It stays that way as long as the RH and temperature dont change. The baseline value can also be considered as a goal to achieve as you begin to dry out the infected surfaces. In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. I want to use it to build a table and will be moving it to the location where I will work on it shortly. One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. Should you check moisture levels on a trailor floor on a massive rainy day? 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. Also, what brand and model of pin meter are you using? 10? Mobeen, If a wooden sample gains moisture, then the sample will increase in size. Hi Moisture Experts, My house is 25 years old located in Oregon City OR (near Portland). I not sure if this is normal, related to the re-shim or need to install a crawl space dehumidifier to slow the progression? The solution seems to be drying the wood longer & bettter, to a lower measured MC. hello I been getting very sick in my home so I had my manger do a mold and moisture test which came back high level of moisture levels which a contractor wants to take the sub floor up and 2 to 4 inches of the wall but my apartment manger is not releasing to report and hes is saying the spore test didnt pick up any mold spore question is it safe for me and my family to be in the home with high level of moisture in the restroom which the floor have been really soft for over 9 months now as well as the kids bedroom where a pipe burst. In general, any reading between 6 and 10% is considered normal here. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Interior walls non-insulated at around 7-8% mc. I have removed the 1 3/4 edge and resawn to take out the splinter (1/4) re bicuited . The average RH of the environment where the wood will be used. But when you touch the pins to the embedded screws, you get between 14 and 24 % in various areas of the board. I manufacture ice cream sticks and disposable wooden cutlery from European Baltic birch wood in India. The flooring pieces should be removed from the packaging to allow the ambient conditions to equalize the wood. Knowing were all the piers are, I can stand on top and feel a small hump in the floors. Please give us a call at (800) 634-9961 or email info@wagnermeters.com, if youd prefer. 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. Because the electromagnetic frequencies used to scan the material in question use distortions in the radio wave to measure moisture content in building materials. The conversion puts the adjusted MC between 9.5 -> 12%. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. First time this has happened (splitting that is). Which Orion moisture meter model would you suggest for my application? Most of it will dissipate. Unfortunately, the insulation and drywall had already been installed. I recommend one of our Orion models: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. I have taken a few readings with the walls I'm concerned about and it ranges from 20 - 26% even from top to bottom, I took a reading in a room not so bad at around 10-12% top to bottom. Hello and thanks for writing in. Softwoods, such as spruce, can have more moisture. Any suggestions .thanks. You will want closer to 6% in the drier climates and 9% MC for the more humid climates. Hello I moved into my new home in June of 2018. The best way to know if the values on a reference scale are normal or not is to compare them to a normal sample. Your ideal MC will also depend on the outdoor humidity levels. The wood has been kiln dried and packed in corrugate. I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. Im on a grade-level concrete slab, and the water made its way over (under the tiles) to my sink vanity. Very educational! Thanks in advance for your input! A single reference scale is enough. Thank you. Wood is hygroscopic. What wood do you recommend that does not have a high oil/water content? How to test moisture /water content in cassia bark? Percent moisture content in wood is the ratio of the weight of water compared to the overall weight of a piece of wood. This summer I milled several 1.25 boards from a fir log that had been cut around 10 years ago. What is the acceptable water/moisture content in cassia bark?- in south east asia. 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%. A normal moisture meter reading on wood ranges between 6 and 10%. Free Download Is a Pin or Pinless Moisture Meter Best For You? So, when looking at the relative humidity of the space, spaces left above 70% RH for extended periods will also promote mold growth. So, before starting work on any moisture testing task, be sure to check what reading mode the meter is in. So, a moisture meter is usually calibrated to provide accurate, quantitative results in a specific kind of material. 2nd question, will lacquer on surface of flooring affect the reading. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The water eventually came out a electric outlet located three inches off the floor. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips. When wood is subjected to an environment that is higher in humidity, it will swell or expand. My question is microwaving twice turned bowls what would be the general rule of thumb for a target by weight. Therefore, a normal moisture meter reading for gypsum in between 0.2% and 1%. The amount of water is determined by subtracting the dry weight from the initial weight. Targeted moisture content will vary from region to region. Some examples of things that can impact the accuracy of moisture testing include: Why and how do these factors affect moisture meter readings? Also, there is a risk of mold. 1. in Indonesia there are a lot of raw materials consisting of natural fibers, such as: pandanus, water hyacinth, rattan etc. What humidity content should cedar be at for proper gluing. With a Wagner L606, I am getting MC readings 12%->15.5% . What is an acceptable moisture readings? I was able to get the MC down to 15%. There are 2 main types of moisture meters: pin-type and pinless. Pin meters, on the other hand, are better able to determine the distribution of moisture throughout a material sample from the shell to the core and can be used in materials with curved or uneven surfaces. Can carpet be reinstalled? With that in mind, and similarly to what we said about drywall, concrete must remain dry and damp free. Thank you. 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%. 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. A consistent humidity level of 70 percent will require wood to be about 13 percent moisture content. I wanted to talk to someone at Wagner about moisture guages and is there a dealer near Chattanooga, TN. 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%. A moisture content reading of 25% is borderline to support mold. It does not store any personal data. Many of our customers are successfully using our hand held moisture meters on engineered flooring. In most cases, the moisture can be more appropriately imagined as humidity rather than collected water. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thanks. Were so sorry for the inconvenience. If youre wondering how wood can have a 200% moisture content, heres how that works. With pin meters, the standing water on the top of a piece of wood can cause the electrical current to be routed through the water instead of the material being tested. Pin-type meters are more sensitive than pinless meters to naturally-occurring chemicals and minerals in the wood and wood temperature variations. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Weak batteries can prevent the meter from functioning correctly, and trying to use a meter with depleted batteries can even cause permanent damage to the meter over time. Thank you so much for your time and expertise. The interior wood moisture level should be 12% or lower before painting. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. The moisture content of freshly cut wood is typically somewhere between 40-200%. Readings below 12% indicate superlative quality firewood. These problems can be easily avoided if you know the woods moisture content. The moisture reading scales are designed to determine a specific, quantitative amount of moisture content (%MC) in a particular type of material. Question: Just to make sure that you get accurate moisture measurements, has your moisture meter been checked for calibration? I am not familiar with the particular moisture meter the plumber was using, but assuming it is correct, that moisture content is way too high to install new flooring. I suggest you also contact NORMI, https://www.normi.org, and see if they can help you locate a certified inspector near you. Moisture contents of 12 to 17% is ok. You dont want to see any subfloor reach about 25% which is where mold will start to grow. Drying equipment removed 3 days ago. Readings can be elevated if there is a stud directly behind the sheetrock. What is a normal reading on a moisture meter? Thats why I think the wood is either not dried to 14%, or it has picked up too much humidity after drying. What do you recommend the reader to be at before insulation and drywall on new construction? Outside of this small 4x4 area, the moisture rating returns to 12-15%. Based on common guidelines or recommendations, the acceptable moisture levels for wood are as follows: Keep in mind that a woods acceptable moisture level will depend primarily on how it will be finally used and the average RH where it will be finally used. Bird, who runs the School of Fine Woodworking outside Knoxville, Tennessee, says he knows wood shrinks seasonally but wants to minimize the shrinkage and expansion by drying the wood to a moisture content of about 8%. This means the weight of the water exceeds the weight of the wood by itself. The humidity percentage changes depending on the surrounding relative humidity. Pinless meters are more sensitive to differences in wood density (or specific gravity). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Depending on the type of meter (pin or pinless), either the naturally-occurring chemicals or minerals or the woods density can affect the accuracy of the moisture measurements. In contrast, Las Vegas in the drier Southwest has much lower EMC percentages than most other U.S. cities. So all we can say here in that a normal moisture meter reading for concrete needs to remain low. A quality pin-type meter should always come with temperature correction charts. 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. Assess them to figure out which is the best tool for the job. A moisture meter is therefore not the ideal tool to evaluate damp in a concrete slab. As a result, a moisture meter, which only evaluates dampness in the top few inches, cannot defect the MC in deeper layers and the readings with not be 100% reliable. Can I get a away with this? Pinless moisture meters are even easier to use. This weight difference is then used to calculate the woods original moisture content. The interior home conditions are, AC running at 68-70*F. Exterior wall condition 104*F as checked with an IR thermometer of East wall not in the sun. The Moisture Meter is a white . Be on the lookout for flooring failures such as swelling, buckling, cupping, etc. Brilliant article. Your table may have been a little too high in moisture, hence the crack as it dried slightly in the drier environment. Moisture meters include visual LED indicators related to the percent reading on the scale for dry, moderate and saturated or wet readings. 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. There are different methods for determining moisture content, and among them, using a moisture meter is the most popular way. Fiber saturation for wood is in the 30%MC range so scales that go much above that are doing little in reality. Hope that helps. Allowing the wood to acclimate in the final spot before building, really isnt possible because it is 8 hours away, and I cant take a week off to go up there and build the table. This method uses the oven-dry method and then compares the results to those obtained using a moisture meter. This is very common in low quality meters. Thanks!!! 15% is too high, at least for hardwoods. i want to make a headboard from it. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods. 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. Prior to the re-shim, the pier in the area that floods in the spring could be felt pushing up the floor, meaning the beam is warping and been monitoring it. At that point in time, we did not have a conditioned house. And what are the different readings that we should expect when using a moisture meter? The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content. 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. Mold starts growing if the moisture contents reaches about 25% moisture content. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Should this reading of 12.3 require replacing the existing dry wall before installing a new shower stall? As said earlier, wood has a great water-holding capacity and can have way more than 40% moisture content. As the humidity decreases, the MC decreases, causing the wood to shrink. Turn on the meter. What is a normal reading on a moisture meter? The most common settings are for softwood, hardwood, masonry, and drywall.
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