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This would depend on the expectations of the person receiving the product in India, how large of diameter the logs are, and some average estimate of what the conditions would be inside the container during the 55 days. Some of the unfinished wood you see on the market has been kiln-dried to reduce its water moisture content to around 8% so that it wont suffer from moisture-related defects like warping and buckling. I really need to know as I am getting so many different opinions Thanks. Most interior wood is in this range. Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! The acceptable moisture levels in basement walls and floors will depend on many factors. My last Wagner was appropriated by the individual who appropriated other tools out of my old sho. Here is the one I would recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/mmc220-extended-range-moisture-meter/, My potential house in North Carolina Fayetteville area was just checked for moisture content in the crawl space. I live in upstate South Carolina. I dont know what to believe except the company who installed the vapor and dehumidifier said the vapor barrier needs to be changed out because of all the sewage and drainage stains after the plumbing is fixed. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. If this is confusing, dont worry. It was such a good read. 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%. Mold starts to grow in the mid to high 20 percent moisture contents. can be laid with falls and set downs. Thank you for the well described article. Wood is used to clean model railroad tracks. You will also see that the healthy wood moisture levels of 10% - 16% occur when the relative humidity is between 55% and 80% at 70 degrees. If the subfloor is not acceptable, it can often be overlaid with 1/2 -inch plywood. The normal moisture content of wood (or EMC) varies from 7%-19% depending on the RH in the air. Floor Joist Sizes & Span in Residential Home Building (Complete Guide) Wood moisture content between 0% and about 28% is dependent upon the relative humidity (RH) of the air. Hello, Paul here. Thanks in advance for your input! You can check for moisture by using a moisture meter. The substructure may show decayed areas, ranging from small to very large, of rotten floor joist, sills, and . As a general guideline, an emission rate of 1.4 kg/100m (3 lbs/1000 ft) or less is considered acceptable for most floor coverings. A moisture meter will help verify. This makes pinless moisture meters perfect for measuring the moisture content of things like expensive hardwood floors. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. Im trying to find specs on treated lumber for NC. Building Performance Series No. Why and how can I say this? 9Chrv;plt[nh%:fOl8e^5e cM(?=6?y8{6uZkpz[TgLXD9feUm.L;l7:5C:hf=tE&U[&8 ^ wu*Vz*##;PKk? There are two main ways of measuring wood moisture content: oven-dry testing and moisture meter testing. 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? Currently the RH is 76%, the residence RH will be set at around 35%. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. The rim joist and floor joist sit right on the block. meter readings of up to 2.0% and in-slab relative humidity (RH) below 75%. Do you have a suggestion? Best of luck with your project. The other question is what should the moisture content be on treated lumber that will be for the framing of the deck? I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. Different wood? A dehumidifier in the crawlspace will help but can be expensive. You mentioned it was installed just 3 days after it was delivered. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. An MC in this range, therefore, is considered sufficiently dry for exterior in-service wood. A Guide to Subfloors Used Under Wood Flooring Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. Installing Hardwood Flooring Over OSB: It's All About Managing Moisture 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. Hello and thanks for writing in. I know the rule of thumb is 1 year of dry time per inch of thickness of wood. In general, all wood products will swell with an increase in moisture content and shrink with a decrease in moisture content. 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: Your ideal MC will also depend on the outdoor humidity levels. Understanding the effects moisture has on timber, as well as acceptable moisture levels in wood flooring, will keep your timber floor looking pristine throughout its lifetime. Very simple and understandable. Studies have shown, however, that mold growth can occur on wood at moisture content levels above 15 to 18 percent, and corrosion of metal fasteners in treated wood can occur when moisture content exceeds 18 to 20 percent. The joists can be longer or shorter as required by space and size, and are typically spaced at either 450mm or 600mm apart. Repair is often required when WMC readings are in this range. Thanks for the question. Wet Floor Joists - Drying Water Damaged Floor Joists Keep indoor humidity low. 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. I wanted to know if is there any standard which specifies the acceptable range of moisture content for wood used in packaging industry like pine wood. Can I a cut them first, then glue them once they are dryer? You can use our free APP called WoodH2O to help you decide on the best moisture content. Knowing were all the piers are, I can stand on top and feel a small hump in the floors. Wood Moisture Content is the weight of water in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of oven dry weight of wood. to keep the moisture content below 20 percent. P.O. Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. 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? Water Level Survey: Are You Smarter Than an Egyptian? I understand that a home inspector expressed concern about fungal growth on the floor framing, so the buyer is concerned that the fungus needs to be removed/cleaned/mitigated from the joists. Generally the entire floor is dry. My house was built in 1927. Structural Repairs Dont Have to Be a Nightmare! If the moisture is less than 20% and the floor joists are structurally sound, like the joists at this home, there is no need to worry about any fungal staining that might exist. This level of moisture is unlikely in a joist which is independent of a wall or under a water leak. 10? Typical humidity levels inside a home is between 40 to 50%. However, many building materials may have been dried down to about 15% moisture content. I had engineered hard wood installed and it is curling at the joints. Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. I also applied Boracare (boron) that has stopped minor beetle damage. h26P0Pw/+Q0L)66 Any suggestions to this being possible to correct? the concrete was completely dry, no standing water. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. When wood is subjected to an environment that is higher in humidity, it will swell or expand. As the airs RH increases, so does the moisture content of any wood exposed to the air. I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. Whats the Difference Between a Home Inspection and an Engineering Inspection? This will drastically speed up the drying process. The ideal moisture content will depend on the humidity indoors. There will most likely be some shrinkage, so if possible, choose the clearest boards possible to lessen the possibility of any major cracking. 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. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. I suspect the moisture was the culprit? Thanks! Decay fungi need liquid water to grow. I live on the fl coast so what should the moisture level be? The installer should then check the moisture content of multiple boards and average the results. Not only did the aggressive notching doom this joist, it affected the structural integrity of the floor system above. Hardwood flooring needs to acclimate at least 2 weeks, in service conditions, before it is installed. This is based on a chart in Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. Thanks. Hello Brian, I am a moisture meter expert, not a woodworking expert but from your description, the problem points to the conditions, not the wood or joinery. My house is 24 years old. Currently reading a 12.5%. I had a redwood deck, and they replaced it with Douglas fir (without my approval, but thats another issue). Your contractor may use something called a moisture meter to see what the approach should be for joist damage, or it may be more obvious based on the appearance of the wood. Joist spans may not be on the minds of most do-it-yourselfers, but joist spans are everywhere: above our heads in the ceiling joists and below our feet as flooring joists. PDF Subsurface Tolerances and Floor Flatness Requirements A Case for my question is, is there a possibility that the wood will shrink because of the weather condition?the wood that we used for the door frames and bidding is beechwood. Thanks Phil. Do these levels seen appropriate considering the recent rainfall. I am not sure if this is pressure treated wood given its an exterior wall and if that affects what these numbers are. Acclimation is the process for conditioning the moisture content of wood flooring to the environment where it will be installed. For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. At that point in time, we did not have a conditioned house. Surface molds may develop. 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. However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. Both times, the tables were flawless, but after 2-3 weeks in their new home both table tops had major crack issues. ft., based on a standard AStM F-1869 (Calcium Chloride) test, or 80% rh, based on AStM F-2170. From a strictly static MC%, 16-20% MC for long duration is going to promote mold growth. To avoid this problem, wood flooring should never be stored where environmental conditions are uncontrolled, such as garages and exterior patios. Accuaracy is of course more important.. Learn how your comment data is processed. A 212 joist of the same species and quality can span nearly 25'. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. It does the same for wood, and is especially hard on softwoods, such as pine or fir. 2. Was told thats not done. It is also possible high moisture has entered the container during the trip to Europe. 78 0 obj <>stream Under the floor. It constantly absorbs and releases vapour into the . The ideal moisture content for hardwoods is between 6% and about 9%, depending on the ambient conditions around the wood. If so, then you'll want to know. For boundary materials, the values vary depending on the physical properties of what you are . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Houses with timber-framed floors can be at risk of having poor underfloor ventilation. in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. 20% 28% Readings in this range indicate that conditions are border-line for decay. So, to sum up, Moisture in crawlspaces is bad. The SG setting is on the card that comes with the meter. 16% 20% Readings in this range indicate a possible elevated level of wood moisture. There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. the curb is built with 3 2/4s stacked on each other. The excess moisture source should be corrected immediately, and monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. I have built two table tops (douglas fir) that have both suffered major cracking in their final location. 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. Squeaks from subfloors The floor installer is often the 'first cab off the rank' when there is a squeaking floor and the problem may Therefore, in order to avoid post-construction problems, a woodworker building a cabinet for this particular interior environment would need to dry his wood to a moisture content of 8- 9% beforehand and then keep it that dry during the construction process. Want this question answered? With regard to mold growing on your furniture, I would have to defer you back to the shipping company as they have more experience dealing with these types of issues. If you need further clarification http://www.nwfa.org is an excellent source. Please dont pay for a Borate spray unless the buyer wants to pay for it. i want to make a headboard from it. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . They are putting desiccants in the container to absorb the moisture but we feel its going to be a long time enclosed in the container without any air circulation. One type of wood moisture meter. i cored out a small section of the bottom beam (3 inches wide) all the way down to the foundation. The front of the . I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). The engineered wood floor appears ok. In the most serious cases, entire joists may need to be removed, but many times they can be "sistered," or attached to another supporting joist for additional strength. : Mold & Fungus In the Crawlspace. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. The process is time-consuming but produces accurate results if followed correctly. My main concern here is that the flooring didnt have enough time to acclimate to the surrounding conditions. 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. Now the fungus goes dormant. Building pathology: moisture conditions within traditionally - NBS They are returning to remove one plank and take it back to see what they can do to meet my satisfaction. Your subfloor moisture level should be no greater than seven to nine percent when you are installing flooring. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. Pinless meters also dont leave damaging pinholes on the woods surface. So please help us to know what should be required moisture level in Acacia board in final product if we need to restrict wood movement at Colorado . The Las Vegas EMC of wood or lumber ranges from 4.0% to 8.5%. After you remove the old flooring, you'll need to ensure the subfloor is properly prepared before laying the new vinyl, hardwood or laminate flooring. 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. 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. What do you recommend the reader to be at before insulation and drywall on new construction? I would have thought that if the floor gave a 99.9% water saturation reading, it would have had to have been noticeably wet. Longer pins with insulated shafts are designed for the purpose. It is possible, in some species, to have a moisture content higher than 100 percent. This must be done before attempting to dry out the wood. For most areas of the United States, acceptable moisture levels of wood and lumber can be in the range of 9% to 14% for exterior wood or for building envelope components within constructed assemblies. You can use a dehumidifier when you need your crawl space drier, but it's essential to maintain proper moisture levels as much as possible. Oh no! "R. board, and a 12-in. You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. Next, check the moisture of new floorboards. This pin-type moisture meter is one of Delmhorst's most popular models. The plumbing was improperly installed with the wrong cement to fit the pipes and could have been leaking from anywhere between 5-29 years while absorbing into the ground. 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. RH where they were built is about 29-30%. The lumber was recently milled, although the tree had been cut months, years ago. 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. However, it 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. There are two main types of wood moisture meters, pin-type and pinless. That is still quite a wide range. Should I wait for the slabs to be within that 6-9% to cut and glue? hellow! I have some black walnut and cherry that Ive milled and want to make some charcuterie, cheese, bread boardsetc with, would the 6 8% dryness apply to this or what would you recommend? Timber treatment | BRANZ Weathertight Wood shrinks or swells as its moisture content changes, but only when water is taken up or given off from the cell walls. Keep monitoring it. This document describes the meaning and use of readings from a wood moisture meter. 2. PDF Research Findings on Moisture Management - LSU AgCenter z .XWb*QGF^v4MQ`_dRw{\;\'03Uhx-SeJlc!m\8X^,Z/hU5Ewdzz:`nZ!(7reWD4X. 1= z@ Floor joists are generally 6, 8, 10, or 12 inches in width, with 8 or 10 inches as the most common sizes. The next question is almost the same as before, if we have various kinds of wood, such as March wood, mango wood, pine. This means your crawl space humidity goes up by about 22 degrees. Why You Should Test for Moisture Before Installing Flooring Your email address will not be published. We dont know if we still have leaks? Thanks for the question. 9.1.5 Floors - NHBC Standards 2023 NHBC Standards 2023 Hello Folks, I am new to wood turning and do not have a ready supply of dry/seasoned (my wood is green) wood. 2. 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. And it really helps to pay an HVAC contractor to better seal and insulate the A/C ducts so they dont leak cold air!!! I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. If low WMC readings were obtained during the winter, and other signs of high moisture levels are present, obtain additional readings during the summer. Required fields are marked *. The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. Timber framing needs to be dried to acceptable moisture content levels as stipulated in NZS 3602:2003 Timber and wood-based products for use in building. )IS0i 1P *V? U? 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. I built the tables in west Texas, but their final home is in Colorado. 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! This week, I notice the next pier on the same beam is starting to push up, warping the floor. Does coating wood with oil stabilize the moisture content in wood? In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. However, a general rule of thumb is that the basement's humidity level is not over 30 - 50 percent. Please provide us with regular updates. 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. Wood is hygroscopic. Fix & Replace Damaged Floor Joists - How to Sister a Joist Toilet overflowed and moisture meter is reading 30% in worst area. Meanwhile, the reference scale can be used to provide qualitative moisture assessments in other building materials. Condensation present on the . The NWFA recommends testing wood subfloor moisture in at least 20 locations per 1,000 sq. The same study showed a 40% loss in joint strength and concluded that a 20% MC may significantly compromise shear resistance of exterior walls. For example, if the moisture content of the delivered wood is 12% and the optimal MC is 6%, then physical problems will occur during the acclimation process. we are getting hardwoods from our Uk Suppliers and accoya coming in at 2% and once we use the timber we are reading 0% we have tested the reader and its accurate even joinery grade sapele wood and Tulip wood coming in at 0% we cover these in 3 coats of sikkens paint and sometimes we get jobs where we are having to go back as our joinery is moving and we are guessing its because of these moisture levels and had never checked previously. The ceiling in the bedroom above the chimney breast shows signs of damp however doesn't feel damp/moist. Moisture content in floor systems - Structural Inspections - InterNACHI Being that we live in Central Florida, 40 miles North of Tampa and using this chart page 5 ( https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/wpe/files/2016/08/Equilibrium-Moisture-Content-of-Exterior-Wood-in-the-US.pdf) were it states EMC for wood exposed outside for our area of 12.5 to 14.0 when I put the moisture meter to the wood it should be in those ranges if going to be used outside? Like all wood materials, I-joists are susceptible to moisture. I will get further testing from those not involved. 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. Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent mold from getting on the wood? As with the hardwood flooring, it is essential to check the OSB's moisture content using a moisture meter. I read your article and really like it. >V@Ica4R%f%l&/R*liDqx/nB*?1MH}Su>VeyZ3?>vMLqcwY^U. First time this has happened (splitting that is). Also, if the leak was bad enough, it will be necessary to have a contractor make sure the strength of the subfloor isnt compromised. i am baffled. PDF Specification for Solid Timber Flooring Installation, Sanding - ATFA 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. The moisture content of freshly cut wood is typically somewhere between 40-200%. Maximum Moisture Content Of Concrete This is a nominal value most product manufacturers specify when concrete is dry enough to allow their product to lay down on it. 7 Common I-Joist Installation Mistakesand How to Avoid Them Add an answer. While the surface of the floor might feel dry, there could be higher moisture inside. Step 1: Check the Floor. hj0Ed=h].J-)_q},jR3$\ eH"wCk)E)J8 ft., and averaging the results. Hi and good day , I would like to find out what r the right temperature readings for workable wood slabs in South Africa specially Matumi wood slabs. Does that seem normal. Although some movement can be expected between 6% and 9%, wood flooring can shrink or swell more dramatically outside this range. -25% moisture content in a VENTED crawl space. The conversion puts the adjusted MC between 9.5 -> 12%. Moisture Content of Wood | Everything You Need to Know - Reliance Timber Signs Of Moisture In Basement. I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. This article is really helpful. Obviously, the ambient conditions within which the wood or paper is present can alter the MC% of the wood or paper. Wonder if they are trying to cover themselves. It is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment. Standards and tolerances guide | Queensland Building and Construction 1. When you do this, you not only ensure that the entire batch is okay on average, but youre also far likelier to catch boards that are statistical outliers and could cause problems. 0 WM=8DBaHh10tIKR/OH}X5Kpt'_]4Mfg9@w8~ n$R 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.