Not using the correct procedure. First of all, it's normal for a below-grade concrete block wall in contact with the soil to have a high moisture content. with the spring thaw, i was one of the lucky ones that got water in my basement. Room size, L-shaped, is 21.5 x 12.5 and leg of L is 8.5 x 11. Logs, siding, shiplap, and T&G must be kiln-dried to stop the wood from shrinking or pulling apart. The rim joist and floor joist sit right on the block. 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. 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. One note is that we did have some fungus growth in our crawlspace during the construction phase prior to the crawlspace being sealed and had the contractor come and spray and clean the floor joists and subflooring where applicable. Surface molds may develop. I-Joist - APA - The Engineered Wood Association - APAwood.org As it dries, you should expect slight changes in width and length. 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). 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. Can carpet be reinstalled? A Guide to Subfloors Used Under Wood Flooring 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? ft., and averaging the results. You should be ok as long as the moisture content does not get worse (higher). I dialed the 800 number for Wagner meters and all I got was two sales pitches for a Life alert type device. Pin-type meters use penetrating electrodes and measure the woods moisture content using electrical resistance. Thats why I think the wood is either not dried to 14%, or it has picked up too much humidity after drying. 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. They need to carry a moisture meter with them under houses and probe the floor joists to measure wood moisture content. Did the Contractor mention anything about the structural strength of the joists? PDF Moisture and Wood-Frame Buildings - Healthy Heating I live in coastal South Carolina .we are definitely afraid of mold formation. How to test moisture /water content in cassia bark? They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. this is an interesting read I landed upon as I was searching for MC in wood items. If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. Some wood you buy from a lumber store can be higher than 14% but typically range between 12-14%. Thanks for the article, really appreciate the info! What is the acceptable water/moisture content in cassia bark?- in south east asia. I purchased my newly built home that has to meet all the new energy efficient standards and will be 2 years old this coming month. Repair is often required when WMC readings are in this range. We have industrial fans going 24/7 to try and dry out the room and also have a dehumidifier running, Ive had the heated floor running in hopes that it could help dry any of the wet wood directly below. This app will tell you the percent moisture content that a given temperature and humidity will equilibrate to. 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. Well, tile, bricks, and stones are known to have a low water-holding capacity and therefore should be dry. Do these levels seen appropriate considering the recent rainfall. Wood used indoors will eventually stabilize at 8-14% moisture content; outdoors at 12-18%. Hello Enjoyed the article. Condensation on the inside of a windowpane. A11 - Substrate Testing - Floor Covering Reference Manual Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. Here is a link to a calculator and table: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html. 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. My builder and flooring contractor asked for me to give the hardwoods a season to acclimate and they would surely move back together in june/july time frame. The water wasnt properly dried and organic growth was discovered by previous owner. Summers are hot and dry while winters can be cool. For example, if you were to have an EMC of 14%, then you would measure the woods moisture content and make sure its at 14%. The floors have started cupping across the entire area with more in some parts. How Timber Reacts To Moisture. . Therefore, just because the wood is kiln-dried doesnt mean it has lost the ability to absorb moisture. 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. We have started to import teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia into Europe. A moisture content reading of 25% is borderline to support mold. The door is NE facing and protected from direct Sun light and rain by a porch roof. As lumber dries, it may split, cup and warp. You can now understand the meaning of moisture content 5.5%, 15 g/m2/24 hours, and relative humidity 75% with these facts. Meanwhile, the reference scale can be used to provide qualitative moisture assessments in other building materials. 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. -XF% Its more important to understand that the wood is kiln-dried down to a certain bell-shaped range of MCs. i want to make a headboard from it. The photo shows a floor that is out of level over four or so boards adjacent to the external wall. I have built two table tops (douglas fir) that have both suffered major cracking in their final location. Thank you for your very informative knowledge about all of the items on this page. Too dry and you get chipping out of the wood. 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. The other question is what should the moisture content be on treated lumber that will be for the framing of the deck? 12.5% is gettin there but not quite to the 6-9% mentioned in the article. The levels were between 20 and 23%. I am not sure if this is pressure treated wood given its an exterior wall and if that affects what these numbers are. The joists can be longer or shorter as required by space and size, and are typically spaced at either 450mm or 600mm apart. The pins are pressed into the wood to obtain a reading. If an interior location has an average RH of 40-52%, wood placed there will have an average EMC of 8-9%. 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. Do you have a suggestion? PDF Residential Housing: Wood Moisture Content - Cisllc.org Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. Thank you. Over a year ago, I re-shim all the piers with metal shims. Were so sorry for the inconvenience. 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. we had a problem with our shower curb. To do so: Make two vertical cuts through the joist a safe distance away from each end of the rotten section. 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. https://www.wagnermeters.com/wood-moisture-meters/. 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. Higher values could mean a wet or saturated material. Brilliant article. The home inspectors working for fees today seem to have one primary motive in mind: to cover their liabilities. It is best to replace the particle board subfloor. The more specific way to know would be to measure the relative humidity and temperature in your homes air and then plug the numbers into a calculator like this https://www.spikevm.com/calculators/logging/equilibrium.php This will tell you what the MC% should be based on your specific environment. These mold spores land on the wet wood and take root. Effects of Moisture on I-Joists and LVL - Roseburg If this is confusing, dont worry. Wiki User. BD-2100 Pin Meter. If he is using a high-quality product from companies such as Delmhorst, they provide a slide hammer pin attachment, and they need to use insulated-shaft pins. These are typical readings for exterior wood. Lay the panels perpendicular to floor joists, allowing 1/4 inch of space between panels and the wall. 1. h26P0Pw/+Q0L)66 This makes pinless moisture meters perfect for measuring the moisture content of things like expensive hardwood floors. Ive been following your in depth blog on moisture meters for around 1 year now. Call JADE today for a crawlspace inspection and we can give you definitive answers to your crawl space problems! Good luck. 2nd question, will lacquer on surface of flooring affect the reading. This is more likely to occur to occur in lower-grade boards, where knots and uneven grains are already present. Replaced the subfloor, which is . You should be able to tell where the water reached the subfloor because it will be discolored and may also be swelled up. How best to handle moisture inside concrete block basement walls? The process is time-consuming but produces accurate results if followed correctly. A termite repair company (also licensed contractors) told me that I needed to replace the planks on my second story deck. I had engineered hard wood installed and it is curling at the joints. Home Moisture Meters Acceptable Moisture Levels in Wood Knowing the Moisture Content. I gladly obliged. Here current humidity is 76%. 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. I may have missed this already but I have a few quick questions. Readings can be elevated if there is a stud directly behind the sheetrock. Different wood? Which do you recommend? It depends on the size of the project, but anytime you put a waterborne urethane on the wood you are adding moisture to your project. Dryer wood produces more resistance than wetter wood. Wet Floor Joists - Drying Water Damaged Floor Joists For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). You mentioned it was installed just 3 days after it was delivered. 20% 28% Readings in this range indicate that conditions are border-line for decay. Under the floor. We dont know if we still have leaks? Hello! We have a free app called WoodH2O for Android or iPhone. water leaked over the edge. They said if i wanted to spend the money, a humidifier would help keep the humidity inside the house more consistent throughout the year. 24 and 26 framing studs should measure 19% moisture content or less. A company sealed off the foundation vents and removed all the insulation from the crawlspace with the humidifier mitigating the moisture from the leaks. The fastest way to test the moisture content of wood is to use a moisture meter. 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. I would love to be able to give you the perfect answer but unfortunately, there isnt one. You can hardly see the humps except the first pier that popped up . I live in upstate South Carolina. Because wood shrinks and warps as it dries, woodworkers want it to be pre-shrunk before they use it. As the humidity decreases, the MC decreases, causing the wood to shrink. Limit the length of notches to 1/3 of the joist's depth. Even with lower temperatures, the ideal range for wood keeps relative humidity between 55% and 75%. Then placing his pin meter on the screws. Prior to the flooring installation, make sure your subfloor has not experienced leaks or other water damage. Why and how can I say this? I was thinking 10% MC would be ok but after reading your article Im not sure. Sorry, that time of year. It is also possible high moisture has entered the container during the trip to Europe. I think mine is +-3% Is it possible being near the door just means greater humidity and there isnt actually a leak? Moisture meter reading - DoItYourself.com Community Forums Floor joists come in dimensional lumber lengths from 8 to 16 feet or more. I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. Call 256-318-0982 or, Engineering Inspection Mortgage Companies, Unnecessary Panic! There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. Hi Moisture Experts, My house is 25 years old located in Oregon City OR (near Portland). We are checking moisture levels in several areas each day. 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. Your email address will not be published. Hi Davetta, Youll need to contact a local mold inspection company that is certified. 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. I read your article and really like it. A 10% moisture content reading means that 10% of a wood samples weight is due to water in the wood. ( 55 days transit by sea) What should be the moisture content while loading in Containers? Reaching these moisture content levels does not mean mold growth or corrosion . Wood moisture content between 0% and about 28% is dependent upon the relative humidity (RH) of the air. Installing Hardwood Flooring Over OSB: It's All About Managing Moisture 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? Your email address will not be published. all concrete) is framed and sheetrocked (though not mudded or sealed in any way) is then the studs are tested for humidity, what would be a reasonable level here in Seattle, living approximately 100 yards Puget Sound? Percent moisture content in wood is the ratio of the weight of water compared to the overall weight of a piece of wood. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802. Thanks. Hi Larry, So a friend of mine has some pine and oak blabs at MC levels of (oak 11.5%) and Pine 13-14%. Oh no! There is over three foot of block above grade around the entire house. Let's repeat that again. Indoor humidity is around 50%, indoor temps around 70 degrees. Wood exposed to air with a RH of about 90% will reach a Wood Moisture Content of about 20%. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? Using wood with a moisture content above 14% isnt recommended because it may have detrimental long-term effects on the construction. Every home's foundation repair needs are different based on soil type, type of foundation problem, and climate. It's a direct proportion: an 8-in. New roof first week of November. Am I possibly getting false positives? Download a free version of NZS 3602:2003. Wall Construction Flat-or no more than 3/8" in 8' (bulge) But none of the contractors abide by the framing codes, nor do the city officials. tolerances for floors/walls - Structural Inspections - InterNACHI Forum our question is do we need to replace the floor to avoid fungal problems? Im not sure which part of Europe you are from, but typically the Indonesian climate is very humid compared to other parts of the world. 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. 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. A wood moisture content of 47% is too high. These WMC readings are usually provided by pest control operators, and are included in the termite letter (form CL-100 Official South Carolina Wood Infestation Report). What wood do you recommend that does not have a high oil/water content? Subsequently the woodgrain has reflected in the previously mirror-finish, only on the new panels and we suspect moisture content issues in the wood before it was varnished. I removed an of the foam insulation. The engineered wood floor appears ok. The NWFA recommends testing wood subfloor moisture in at least 20 locations per 1,000 sq. Remember that the meter assumes it is reading timber. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. Where floor s have been covered by previous floor coverings acceptable values are up to 3.5% and 80% in-slab RH. Three years ago, the floor sank in a heavy traffic area and an engineer told me Masonite was used to shim and had compressed. Im still not sure that whatever they do will produce a good, long-term result, but I need to know what they should be doing to the wood. As the humidity increases, the MC increases, causing the wood to expand. Its mc is 11- 12% . 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. With a Wagner L606, I am getting MC readings 12%->15.5% . For wide-width solid flooring (3 or wider), there should be no more than a 2% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. Thanks for the the information, very detailed and useful. Position plywood panels at a 2-inch offset from the structural subfloor seams. Currently reading a 12.5%. What Are Acceptable Moisture Levels In A Crawl Space? 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. The wood sample being tested is dried in a special oven or kiln and its weight periodically checked. Why Do So Many Homes Have Cracks in Their Brick Veneer? 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. Also, if the leak was bad enough, it will be necessary to have a contractor make sure the strength of the subfloor isnt compromised. A good moisture content is between 6 9% for Colorado. What is an acceptable crawl space wood moisture content? However, this time I was planning to use oil based poly rather than the spar urethane to reduce the amount of yellowing. 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? Under the floor - Consumer NZ Most floor joists are single or double, and most often made with 2x6s or 2x8s. Turn on the meter. As a result, the normal moisture meter reading for these materials in between 0.5% and 1%.