This means a very absorbent wood can retain more water, weight wise, the weight of the wood itself. An MC in this range, therefore, is considered sufficiently dry for exterior in-service wood. Other signs of high moisture readings include surface mold, evidence of water flows in the crawl space, evidence of water stains or evaporation from foundation walls and columns, evidence of condensation on ducts and evidence of water drops impacting the soil under ducts. Toilet overflowed and moisture meter is reading 30% in worst area. However, the ideal humidity range in some climates may be higher or lower. A wood moisture content of 47% is too high. However, this range will vary slightly according to the geographic region because of varying RH levels. If humidity levels in the crawlspace with all these measures taken place is above 60% the joist and the subfloor will have a high MC reading. The company they hired measured 47% in the wood and declares that this must be ripped out and replaced. Download a free version of NZS 3602:2003. Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. Call JADE today for a crawlspace inspection and we can give you definitive answers to your crawl space problems! The ASTM D4442 standard determines the accuracy of wood moisture meters. in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. 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. 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 would not recommend re-drying finished plywood. 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, Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood Knowing the Moisture Content, Free Download 5 Ways Pinless Moisture Meters Save You Time and Money. The Las Vegas EMC of wood or lumber ranges from 4.0% to 8.5%. 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? Thank you for sharing such valuable information. For example, from 25% to 45% or from 45% to 65%. Great article, thanks for the info. For more information, see our article comparing Pinless Moisture Meters vs. Pin Meters. In an air conditioned house the wood floor. As this moisture condenses on the floor system, it wets the wood. Pinless moisture meters are even easier to use. Floors should be: level within a 3mm deviation per 1m for floors up to 6m across (measured at the furthest points across the full width of the floor) a maximum of 20mm out of level for floors over 6m across flat within a 5mm deviation, measured using a 2m straight edge with equal offsets. If you need further clarification http://www.nwfa.org is an excellent source. A moisture content that is too high will also slow the cure of the SLu and can affect the subsequent floor finish. It is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment. Having performed multiple (>500) soil moisture and density Sieve and Proctor, so I am well versed in moisture calculations (both add and subtract). 2. The difference between the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring shouldn't exceed 4% for solid strip hardwood . 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. These include warping, cracking, buckling, diminished wood strength, corrosion of fasteners, and even fungal growth. What humidity content should cedar be at for proper gluing. Here is a link to our moisture meters, thermo-hygrometer, and Smart Logger. Very educational! But the table will be inside? Such readings should alert the homeowner to look for a source of excess moisture. The excess moisture source must be immediately corrected, and the situation carefully monitored until the WMC returns to the 12-16 range. Structural Repairs Dont Have to Be a Nightmare! 'Fs[OHTO{0wBj/3Y|rbTXb>IZ=p>Rj K7~K-m%KNce endstream endobj 28 0 obj 99 endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 9 0 R /Resources 16 0 R /Contents 23 0 R /Thumb 4 0 R /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /Rotate 0 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB ] /Font << /F4 19 0 R /F6 18 0 R /F8 21 0 R >> /XObject << /Im1 25 0 R /Im2 26 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 24 0 R >> >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 745 /CapHeight 704 /Descent -203 /Flags 262178 /FontBBox [ -152 -229 1000 945 ] /FontName /Goudy-Bold /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 106 /XHeight 418 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 255 /Widths [ 278 333 500 556 556 889 889 278 389 389 500 606 278 333 278 278 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 333 333 606 606 606 389 747 778 667 722 778 611 556 778 833 389 389 722 611 889 833 778 611 778 722 556 722 833 778 1000 722 667 611 333 606 333 606 500 333 444 500 444 500 444 333 444 556 278 278 556 278 778 556 500 500 500 389 389 333 556 500 722 500 500 389 333 606 333 606 278 778 778 722 611 833 778 833 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 278 278 278 278 556 500 500 500 500 500 556 556 556 556 500 400 556 556 500 606 628 556 747 747 979 333 333 0 1000 778 0 606 0 0 556 556 0 0 0 0 0 278 300 0 722 500 389 333 606 0 556 0 0 500 500 1000 0 778 778 778 1000 778 500 1000 500 500 278 278 606 0 500 667 167 556 333 333 556 556 500 278 278 500 1000 778 611 778 611 611 389 389 389 389 778 778 0 778 833 833 833 278 333 333 333 333 333 333 333 500 333 333 ] /Encoding 20 0 R /BaseFont /Goudy-Bold /FontDescriptor 17 0 R >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /Encoding 20 0 R /BaseFont /Times-Roman >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Encoding /Differences [ 39 /quotesingle 96 /grave 128 /Adieresis /Aring /Ccedilla /Eacute /Ntilde /Odieresis /Udieresis /aacute /agrave /acircumflex /adieresis /atilde /aring /ccedilla /eacute /egrave /ecircumflex /edieresis /iacute /igrave /icircumflex /idieresis /ntilde /oacute /ograve /ocircumflex /odieresis /otilde /uacute /ugrave /ucircumflex /udieresis /dagger /degree 164 /section /bullet /paragraph /germandbls /registered /copyright /trademark /acute /dieresis /notequal /AE /Oslash /infinity /plusminus /lessequal /greaterequal /yen /mu /partialdiff /summation /product /pi /integral /ordfeminine /ordmasculine /Omega /ae /oslash /questiondown /exclamdown /logicalnot /radical /florin /approxequal /Delta /guillemotleft /guillemotright /ellipsis /blank /Agrave /Atilde /Otilde /OE /oe /endash /emdash /quotedblleft /quotedblright /quoteleft /quoteright /divide /lozenge /ydieresis /Ydieresis /fraction /currency /guilsinglleft /guilsinglright /fi /fl /daggerdbl /periodcentered /quotesinglbase /quotedblbase /perthousand /Acircumflex /Ecircumflex /Aacute /Edieresis /Egrave /Iacute /Icircumflex /Idieresis /Igrave /Oacute /Ocircumflex /apple /Ograve /Uacute /Ucircumflex /Ugrave 246 /circumflex /tilde /macron /breve /dotaccent /ring /cedilla /hungarumlaut /ogonek /caron ] >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F8 /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 255 /Widths [ 250 333 371 500 500 833 833 222 389 389 500 606 250 333 250 278 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 250 250 606 606 606 333 747 778 611 722 722 556 500 778 778 333 333 667 556 889 778 778 556 778 667 556 667 778 722 1000 667 611 556 278 606 278 606 500 333 444 500 444 500 444 278 444 556 278 278 500 278 778 556 500 500 500 333 333 333 500 500 667 500 444 333 278 606 278 606 250 778 778 722 556 778 778 778 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 444 278 278 278 278 556 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 400 500 500 500 606 628 500 747 747 979 333 333 0 1000 778 0 606 0 0 500 500 0 0 0 0 0 394 425 0 722 500 333 333 606 0 500 0 0 500 500 1000 0 778 778 778 1000 778 500 1000 389 389 222 222 606 0 444 611 167 500 333 333 500 500 500 250 222 389 1000 778 556 778 556 556 333 333 333 333 778 778 0 778 778 778 778 278 333 333 333 333 333 333 333 333 333 333 ] /Encoding 20 0 R /BaseFont /Goudy /FontDescriptor 22 0 R >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 745 /CapHeight 704 /Descent -207 /Flags 34 /FontBBox [ -168 -213 1001 967 ] /FontName /Goudy /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 73 /XHeight 418 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Length 2280 /Filter /LZWDecode >> stream You can Google moisture content of wood necessary to support fungal growth and see for yourself. On truss/joist spacing of 16" (406mm) o/c or less, the industry standard for single- panel subflooring is nominal 5/8" (19/32", 15.1 mm) CD Exposure 1 Plywood subfloor panels ( CD Exposure 1) or 23/32" OSB Exposure 1 subfloor panels, 4' x 8' sheets. Floor joists support most of your home's weight and play a crucial role in structural integrity. I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. My last Wagner was appropriated by the individual who appropriated other tools out of my old sho. During the summer months, when outdoor humidity is high, the hot/humid air enters the crawl space through the foundation vents and condenses on cool objects. 2. Wood in buildings usually has a wood moisture content of 5% to 15%. 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. 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. The angle iron will prevent much warping, and I do plan on finishing all sides (and ends). Ideally, it should be between 7% and 9%. Please provide us with regular updates. The Building Code states that houses must be built so that a 50-year flood will not enter the building. Once wood is dried below about 28% WMC, water is not available to support decay, unless the wood is exposed to liquid water. Structural flooring for laying direct to joists or battens is a minimum of 19mm thick. The lumber was recently milled, although the tree had been cut months, years ago. The best way to do this is to use an accurate moisture meter. Yes, our moisture meters read MDF. 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. This is a perfectly normal moisture content and one that will not support fungal growth. There are two main types of wood moisture meters, pin-type and pinless. 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. I just bought a live edge slab of Cherry from a local sawmill that was kiln dried. Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has specific installation guidelines for wood flooring and how they relate to moisture content. Effects of Moisture on I-Joists and LVL April 2007 P.O. . If a wooden sample has moisture content range of 2-6% only and if it has moisture content of 9 or 10% then what does this mean?? 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. i am baffled. Accuaracy is of course more important.. The house was not in the flood area however they did receive 20 inches of rain. ft., based on a standard AStM F-1869 (Calcium Chloride) test, or 80% rh, based on AStM F-2170. for a mere $4900. WMC of framing members in a crawl space will usually be lowest in late winter and highest in late summer. Again, the correct moisture content will depend on the surrounding conditions. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. The wood scale provides accurate, quantitative readings of moisture over the range of 5% to 30% MC in wood. Wall Corners-Perpendicular within 1/4" in 10'. Pin-type meters use penetrating electrodes and measure the woods moisture content using electrical resistance. I appreciate you sharing this important information with us at this time. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. Do you agree with this? Thank you. Do these levels seen appropriate considering the recent rainfall. The water wasnt properly dried and organic growth was discovered by previous owner. Every home's foundation repair needs are different based on soil type, type of foundation problem, and climate. Logs, siding, shiplap, and T&G must be kiln-dried to stop the wood from shrinking or pulling apart. You wrote that 15% humidity may induce mold? Fresh cut trees can have a wood moisture content over 200%, while completely dried wood will have a wood moisture content of 0%. Keep monitoring it. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? After all, the wall is in contact with damp soil. Where floor s have been covered by previous floor coverings acceptable values are up to 3.5% and 80% in-slab RH. Which Orion moisture meter model would you suggest for my application? New roof first week of November. . Should it be less? Perhaps there is something different about the East and West walls. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. 15% is too high, at least for hardwoods. A study by Imamura and Kiguchi (1999) showed that wood moisture content in excess of 20% can cause a 5% loss of nail shank diameter in four years and a projected 25% loss in 30 years. The installer should then check the moisture content of multiple boards and average the results. Furniture maker Lonnie Bird weighs in, I dont want the wood to shrink after I use it because the wood will warp or split.. The other thing to consider is examining how water is entering your crawl space. Brilliant article. 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. The water eventually came out a electric outlet located three inches off the floor. Best, Kyle. As long as the moisture content does not exceed those readings you should be ok. Lay the panels perpendicular to floor joists, allowing 1/4 inch of space between panels and the wall. Good luck. Wood used indoors will eventually stabilize at 8-14% moisture content; outdoors at 12-18%. If so, then you'll want to know. You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. You can check for moisture by using a moisture meter. Even with lower temperatures, the ideal range for wood keeps relative humidity between 55% and 75%. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. From a strictly static MC%, 16-20% MC for long duration is going to promote mold growth. Are the measurements of all wood the same? During my visit, I crawled to the four main corners of the crawl space and probed the floor system with an electronic moisture meter during this traverse. 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. I-joists are strong, lightweight, "I" shaped engineered wood structural members that meet demanding performance standards. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. Damn those shop classes I didnt take. Yes, it is possible to have a moisture content reading of 99.9%. Hello Folks, I am new to wood turning and do not have a ready supply of dry/seasoned (my wood is green) wood. /U (li7":-JOBHO,9UY) /P 65492 >> endobj 14 0 obj << /S /GoTo /D [ 15 0 R /Fit ] >> endobj 27 0 obj << /S 45 /T 91 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 28 0 R >> stream