On a hot, humid summer day, the air venting into the crawl space could be as much as 75% relative humidity and 85 degrees. They are in an unheated and currently very cold barn The moisture ranges from 11% -16% according to my meter. The company they hired measured 47% in the wood and declares that this must be ripped out and replaced. You are correct, furniture grade hardwood is typically dried between 6 to 9%. (864) 506-4701, South Carolina Residential Construction Standards, http://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.png. Thanks for the question. There is over three foot of block above grade around the entire house. Just across the threshold to a white oak floor installed in ~1914 and the MC is 15%->16%. Please help with T%, I have seen where 30% moisture loss by weight is a good rule of thumb to shoot for. Meanwhile, the reference scale can be used to provide qualitative moisture assessments in other building materials. Floor joists come in dimensional lumber lengths from 8 to 16 feet or more. 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. Because ventilated crawl spaces throughout the Southeast United States allow high humidity and fungus spores to enter the enclosed space beneath the home. 2. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? 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. Subfloor material such as plywood or OSB should measure between 10 and 14% moisture content. The builder's warranty representative came out and measured the moisture levels with a moisture meter. Can carpet be reinstalled? If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. A floor joist is a horizontal beam, usually made of wood, that is used to support and enclose the flooring above a foundation. It is best to obtain a wood moisture content that will match the environment. Therefore, just because the wood is kiln-dried doesnt mean it has lost the ability to absorb moisture. As it dries, you should expect slight changes in width and length. Would you be able to say anything about the optimal MC range for this specific situation? You will want closer to 6% in the drier climates and 9% MC for the more humid climates. Three years ago, the floor sank in a heavy traffic area and an engineer told me Masonite was used to shim and had compressed. I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. Additional care is necessary if laying parallel to the joists and sheet subfloors can sag between the joist. The levels were between 20 and 23%. Some wood you buy from a lumber store can be higher than 14% but typically range between 12-14%. h26P0Pw/+Q0L)66 As lumber dries, it may split, cup and warp. 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. Everyone who works with wood needs to understand how wood interacts with moisture in the environment. The difference between the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring shouldn't exceed 4% for solid strip hardwood . 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. We had boards that were also cracking/splitting and other places where small pinholes were showing up. First of all, it's normal for a below-grade concrete block wall in contact with the soil to have a high moisture content. For example, a 26 Southern Pine joist can span 12'. Toilet overflowed and moisture meter is reading 30% in worst area. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. within two percentage points of the EMC where the wood is going to be used. We just bought a home where we discovered the plumbing was leaking over a number years with a kitchen flood occurring in the last 3-5 years due to a busted water line. 3.Vacuum and/or Wipe Excess Moisture. I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. Under the floor. As with plywood subfloors, if there is movement or squeaks, refasten the subfloor to the joists and set protruding fasteners into the subfloor. 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. Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. ( 55 days transit by sea) What should be the moisture content while loading in Containers? Many timber-framed floor problems can be traced to moisture levels, excessive loads or borer. Wood exposed to air with a RH of about 90% will reach a Wood Moisture Content of about 20%. Although, in this example, the moisture content of the timber rarely goes above 17%, it is not uncommon for winter moisture contents, in pitched roofs, to peak above 25%. Is this accurate? Second, would the same pine slab, would it be okay to use for a side table or Kitchen island. Not using the correct procedure. 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. This only occurs when wood changes moisture content below the fibre saturation point. In all cases, determining the acceptable moisture level of wood requires the use of an extremely accurate moisture meter. or finally the product will be placed where. Doesnt sound like this has been a problem in the past. Moisture contents in wood floor joists in houses with moisture problems are exceeding the 20% maximum level for air dried lumber. The moisture content overall is almost always below 20%. Very simple and understandable. Why and how can I say this? Am I possibly getting false positives? Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. Great article! board will move 3 times the amount as a 4-in. The reading was sky high in the pan and up two tiles high on the wall. To establish a baseline for wood flooring acclimation, the installer will need to calculate the optimal moisture level of the wood by dividing the regions high season and low season EMC. Too dry and you get chipping out of the wood. 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. Whats the Difference Between a Home Inspection and an Engineering Inspection? Brick Veneer Homes: Are They Really Worth the Headache? The joists can be longer or shorter as required by space and size, and are typically spaced at either 450mm or 600mm apart. However, it can be laid with falls and set downs. 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. If that is the case you need to remove the flooring and examine the subfloor. 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. the curb is built with 3 2/4s stacked on each other. Free Webinar The What, Why, and How of Wood Moisture Testing. As far as the oil finish, the manufacturer of the oil will specify the correct moisture content for an application. 12% 16% Readings in this range are common to lumber during construction, air dried lumber and healthy residential substructures (beneath first floor in crawl spaces). Wide-spread and often extensive moisture damage occurs in residences across the state of South Carolina and elsewhere in the Southeast due to the regions warm, humid climate. What is the optimal MC of the fir stock for construction of the windows? Is this dry enough that Id be able to reinstall the trim over the particleboard? I have used spar urethane as a finish on a few other 12 to 18 MC (semi-wet) log projects that turned out wonderfully. Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/wpe/files/2016/08/Equilibrium-Moisture-Content-of-Exterior-Wood-in-the-US.pdf, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/, http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html, https://www.spikevm.com/calculators/logging/equilibrium.php, https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/, 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, Restoration Expert Says Moisture Management Critical to Health of Any House or Building, Correct Moisture Content: Critical to Your Woodworking Projects, Mckinleyville Middle Schoolers Learning about Wood Moisture Content, Ambient Data Loggers: Peace of Mind in a Box for Wood Flooring Installers, 5 Things Not to Do When Measuring Moisture in Wood Flooring, Alabama Wood Crafters Share Wood Woes When Overlooking a Moisture Meter. Mold growth can be limited if the MC of wood can be kept below 20%. 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. Dryer wood produces more resistance than wetter wood. This can be a problem once installed in furniture or a floor. I found your moisture levels column through a search for good wood for low humidity. 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. Your email address will not be published. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. 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%. ft., based on a standard AStM F-1869 (Calcium Chloride) test, or 80% rh, based on AStM F-2170. One of the beauties of spar is that it allows the wood to move quite a bit, while still retaining good adhesion. If I dry too much, theres discoloration and breakage of product during polishing. Great info! I had a quick looked around the crawl space and didnt notice any structure damage. That doesnt make much sense to me. 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. Which do you recommend? Subtract the width of your floor joist from your floor's length: 120" 1.5" = 118.5". What do you recommend the reader to be at before insulation and drywall on new construction? Example: 1.2mm Hickory wear layer 9mm thick plywood compose of 7 layers, 2 layers acacia, 4 layers of Eucalyptus\2 layers Acacia and one layer Poplar. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. We will be building fir windows. We found the problem and the leak was resolve quickly! To achieve this, Acceptable Solution E2/AS1 says that, on near-level sites, the floor level must be no less than 150 mm above the crown of the road or the lowest point of the boundary. 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. water leaked over the edge. Kiln-dried wood usually shows a moisture reading of 10% on the outside and then 25% on the inside. The other thing to consider is examining how water is entering your crawl space. A moisture content of less than 20% indicates that your joists and beams do not have the necessary moisture content for mold or fungus to survive. Great article, thanks for the info. The next question is almost the same as before, if we have various kinds of wood, such as March wood, mango wood, pine. Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly. 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. 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. The maximum subfloor moisture level for solid strip flooring or wide-width solid flooring is either 12% or 13%, depending on the manufacturer. Here's a good rule of thumb: Notches should be no deeper than 1/6 the depth of the joist. Like all wood materials, I-joists are susceptible to moisture. Hope that helps. Before installing carpet, you will need to dry the subfloor first. We are manufacturer of eng wood flooring. What can we do to get the row products closer in moisture content, we are currently using fans, We are in northern lower Michigan I am the general contractor for the house, and want to avoid any problems, would love to talk to you on the phone, my number is 9894647248, Mark Skiba, This is a great site about moisture content. Simply put, the post offers some useful information. Want this question answered? The joist span tables start with 26 lumber and it goes all the way up to 212. Im looking for the % number that will be my upper boundary for oil application Would 12% be ok? 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? The excess moisture source must be immediately corrected, and the situation carefully monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. 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. My first question is how to determine the MC of eng wood flooring which composite of different species layer, face and different species to form plywood core. However, and unless otherwise permitted by a flooring product manufacturer, the following maximum moisture emission levels over a 24 hour period are permissible for the following floor coverings types: 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. Let's repeat that again. In an air conditioned house the wood floor. My last Wagner was appropriated by the individual who appropriated other tools out of my old sho. I have seen that 13.5% is high for furniture and you should aim below 12%. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? The ceiling in the bedroom above the chimney breast shows signs of damp however doesn't feel damp/moist. Instead of addressing the plumbing and damaged wood, they installed a dehumidifier in 2015. I have a question. Here is a link to a calculator and table: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html. It gains or loses water moisture as the relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding air changes. Does that seem normal. Thank you. What You Should Know About Septic Systems, Interior Slab Foundation Settlement: Evaluations and Cost of Repair. Its always a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the finish also. Good moisture content for softwoods is 10% to 14% moisture. We will be having a deck built off my woodshop. 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! Structural Repairs Dont Have to Be a Nightmare! Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. It is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment.
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