The moisture content of wood is important because the wood will shrink or expand according to its moisture content. I do not have a hygrometer or a moisture meter as I am a hobbyist. 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. We are shipping some acacia chopping board to colorado ( US) with moisture ranges from 10-14% while shipping from India but once product received all get cracked . 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. 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. Non-invasive meters have more false positives than penetrating meters. The Moisture Meter pulls up a number between 0 to 99 to determine skin's dryness. What Are Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood? - Wagner Meters The EMC is higher in coastal areas, including parts of Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and island climates. hellow! 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. I believe you are asking for the percent moisture content (humidity) of South African woods. Thank you. There are a few ways to check moisture meter accuracy, including: Need more help with how to understand moisture meter readings? Seal the holes with a sensor sleeve and cap to allow them to acclimate for the next 24 hours. It is also a good idea to use a moisture meter after the three weeks just to make sure. We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. 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. It will continue to absorb and release moisture until it comes into balance with the surrounding air. So, when testing different building materials, its important to check for these kinds of flaws. 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. I had a redwood deck, and they replaced it with Douglas fir (without my approval, but thats another issue). So, a moisture meter is usually calibrated to provide accurate, quantitative results in a specific kind of material. Once wood acclimates to its environment, it reaches its equilibrium moisture content or EMC. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content. 17 and the flooring is at 6 to 7. Thanks for the very informative post. In other words, its physical size will change. There are two primary methods by which moisture testing in solid materials works: Each of these two moisture testing methods has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Over time, your hardwood floor can become discolored. in fact, and giving the tight structure of concrete, even a reading of 2% MC suggests too such water in concrete. Simply put, the post offers some useful information. Varying humidity levels can cause wood to lose or gain water and shrink or expand. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. The type of material the moisture meter is calibrated for is usually referred to as the meters moisture reading scale. If this is confusing, dont worry. If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. 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. 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). My plan is to make a wall-mounted headboard out of angle iron and these boards (boards will not be joined). However, a low-end moisture meter can be wildly inaccurate. We utilize advanced technologically to deliver effective results! Another reason could be that, while not particularly accurate, reference scale moisture testing can provide a quick pass/fail assessment of moisture content. Should you check moisture levels on a trailor floor on a massive rainy day? The most common settings are for softwood, hardwood, masonry, and drywall. That doesnt make much sense to me. A normal moisture meter reading on wood ranges between 6% and 10%. Any opinions. The cedar I have is now at 12-16%. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thanks for the email. Did the Contractor mention anything about the structural strength of the joists? 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? 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%. I live in Atascadero CA and had a coastal red oak tree cut down this past summer. By far, the most common setting during my home inspections are drywall. Targeted moisture content will vary from region to region. Is it OK to leave it alone at this point if its a small spot or should something more be done? Wagners pinless moisture meters allow you to set the specific gravity from .20 to 1.0 easily. Brick Stone Concrete Stucco Tile Mortar Plaster Cement Mudbrick Granite As you can see, masonry can be a mix of many substances and materials. However, as convenient as this feature is, it can lead to some erroneous readings if the user keeps the meter in the wrong reading scale when testing other materials. Failure to account for temperature variations and a woods chemical makeup will reduce the accuracy of even the best pin-type moisture meters. Should it be less? In other words, wood in interior locations will equilibrate in this range. 541-582-0541 or from North America, 800-634-9961. It does not store any personal data. Each piece of lumber is unique and carries physical characteristics that may include the following: knots, warping, shrinkage, swelling and/or splitting. It is not uncommon for wood to expand or contract as much as a 1/8 per foot of width, so maintaining a stable environment is important. The floors have started cupping across the entire area with more in some parts. Many of our customers are successfully using our hand held moisture meters on engineered flooring. Would it still be 9% for pressure treated wood? For more information, see our article comparing Pinless Moisture Meters vs. Pin Meters. With a Wagner L606, I am getting MC readings 12%->15.5% . So, before starting work on any moisture testing task, be sure to check what reading mode the meter is in. Do you have any recommendations of a local professional we could hire to review the situation and provide an opinion? It is best to replace the particle board subfloor. 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%. One sheet of plywood is 25% next to a 2X4 truss reading 17-27%. First, because wood has a great capacity to absorb and hold water. look forward to your comments. I have a question, I have moisture in the crawl space, we insulated the crawl with closed cell, cannot get the osb subfloor below. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? So all we can say here in that a normal moisture meter reading for concrete needs to remain low. You wont get an accurate reading if your digital moisture meter isnt calibrated. In these high moisture and more humid locations, wood indoors can reach a 12% EMC, while wood outdoors can attain a 16% EMC. Thanks for the question. A portable soil moisture meter is designed specifically for the purpose of determining the levels of moisture present in compost, vegetation, and soil. Hello, Paul here. A change this big will be easy to see. i want to make a headboard from it. Which moisture meter are you using, Barb? The meter's material setting has 7 different materials to choose from. A final major factor that can affect the accuracy of moisture meter readings is the presence of water on the surface of an object. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. The home inspector failed to report all the sewage stains on the plastic and organic growth on some of the joists have which had been exposed to moisture the whole time even though the dehumidifier has been mitigating the plumbing leaks. Perhaps there is something different about the East and West walls. Any suggestions .thanks. The meters will tell you if soil is wet, moist, or dry at the root level, which make them especially effective for large potted plants. These varying humidity levels of the surrounding air cause wood to not only gain or lose water moisture but to expand or shrink as well. Checking the MC of masonry work requires checking every component with a dedicated moisture meter. I would like to rip two slabs and glue them together to make a nice large dining room table. Thank you for sharing such valuable information. Will the reading be accurate? Learn how your comment data is processed. Hello Folks, I am new to wood turning and do not have a ready supply of dry/seasoned (my wood is green) wood. For example, a dented or scratched scanning plate on a pinless moisture meter can keep the meter from making smooth contact with the surface of the material being tested. The wood will still react in humid or dry conditions. Like with moisture reading scales, its important to check that the appropriate species correction is applied before starting to test for moisture in wood. I am planning an under-house excursion tomorrow. The 50% RH level would be at the higher end of normal interior EMC values. 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? Yes, unlike wood, the structure of drywall does not hold as much water and therefore any reading above 1% suggests saturation and too much humidity. How to test moisture /water content in cassia bark? So summarizing, measuring the moisture content of an object is simply calculating the amount of water it contains relative to its dry weight. A quality moisture meter is a perfect tool for spotting wood moisture issues before they become big problems. What is the optimal MC of the fir stock for construction of the windows? Sometimes, humidity or dampness (water vapor) in the air can supply enough moisture for mold growth. The water was there for at most 6 hours, then we vacuumed it all and started the process of drying. Down pour of rain onto underlayment of attached garage. When wood is subjected to an environment that is higher in humidity, it will swell or expand. What do you reccomend if base baords on dry wall have a 23% moisture but have been there 5 years and no signs of decay or visible mold? There are two primary methods to determine moisture levels in drywall: using a moisture meter or calculating humidity levels. I am happy to assist but some critical questions must be addressed first. Is this dry enough that Id be able to reinstall the trim over the particleboard? However, even with large moisture changes, wood barely shrinks or expands at all along the grain. Even at this, the estimate would be the high end of MC% prior to shipment, but only rough estimate. So what to do if you cant find a dedicated moisture meter for bricks, mortar, or stone? There is a wide selection of log moisture meters on the market. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. Furniture grade wood is typically dried to a target of 6%-9%. The acceptable moisture content in wood depends on two factors: These two factors make it difficult to say anything specific about acceptable wood moisture content. Notice that the EMC of the in-use location is the same as the MC: So, using this chart, we know that in an area of the country where the RH inside a home or office is anywhere from 26-32%, both the EMC of the in-use location and the wood moisture content kept in that location will be 6%. The Calculated Industries 7445 AccuMASTER duo pro meter is the most accurate moisture meter. It is also possible to have moisture content readings over 100%. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. What are acceptable moisture levels in a subfloor? Since density varies according to wood species, pinless meters require the user to set the meter to the correct average specific gravity before taking a measurement. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.