An inexpensive $25-50 pin type meter is good for measuring firewood. https://www.wagnermeters.com/wood-moisture-meters/. Is it OK to leave it alone at this point if its a small spot or should something more be done? I had engineered hard wood installed and it is curling at the joints. With this information, the software in the meter is . Well, a moisture meter can be wrong depending on the type of moisture meter (pin-type or pinless), the quality, and how its used. For boundary materials, the values vary depending on the physical properties of what you are testing. Very educational! I am based in The Netherlands. We have had on/off rain and humidity 80-90% range. Are the measurements of all wood the same? 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. These are especially important when conducting moisture tests on wood that hasnt been stored at room temperature. Checking the MC of masonry work requires checking every component with a dedicated moisture meter. I so appreciate your treatise on this issue. Question: Just to make sure that you get accurate moisture measurements, has your moisture meter been checked for calibration? Your reading of 12.5% tells me it is workable. You can determine the correct percent moisture content by using our free app called WoodH2O. Moisture in also known to be unsafe for people with respiratory problems and cause many health hazards. If the wood is covered by a material like MDF or other, do we take 2x the measurements? Obviously, if the user fails to do this, the reading wont be accurate. I don't accept paid sponsorships, my opinion is my own, but if you find my recommendations helpful and you end up buying something you like through one of my links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Brick Stone Concrete Stucco Tile Mortar Plaster Cement Mudbrick Granite As you can see, masonry can be a mix of many substances and materials. 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. The air vents stay closed year round. You are correct, furniture grade hardwood is typically dried between 6 to 9%. As said earlier, wood has a great water-holding capacity and can have way more than 40% moisture content. What is the optimal MC of the fir stock for construction of the windows? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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%. By identifying the flaws, it is possible to mark them down and account for their effect on moisture meter accuracy. Moisture meters normally give a reading within 30 to 60 seconds. Here are some key RH values and the corresponding EMC: The first two values above are fairly typical interior EMC values for most of North Americas heated and air-conditioned offices and homes. Other soil moisture monitoring tools, often used for agricultural applications, include tensiometers and electrical resistance blocks, which indicate the moisture tension of the soil. I would like to load eucalyptus and pine wood logs to India . The meter's material setting has 7 different materials to choose from. We have a free App called WoodH2O that will tell you the moisture content given certain temperature and humidity conditions. Subfloor material such as plywood or OSB should measure between 10 and 14% moisture content. Should I remove more foam to be sure. Slightly higher readings may be normal for your house, but excessively high readings require immediate attention. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). We dont know if we still should be having a commercial drying process? Thanks for the email. For example, from 25% to 45% or from 45% to 65%. Pin-type moisture meters are also sensitive to the chemical makeup of wood, which varies from species to species. thanks so much in advance. That doesnt make much sense to me. The fir windows and exterior doors will be affected by the the exterior and interior RH. The difference is the moisture meters measurement error. The other was for a $100 retail gift card. I requested the treated lumber be brought in a few weeks prior to build, stickered and put under cover to acclimate and dry it. if not, can you tell me why? Mold starts to grow in the mid to high 20 percent moisture contents. Toilet overflowed and moisture meter is reading 30% in worst area. 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. It gains or loses water moisture as the relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding air changes. Before installing carpet, you will need to dry the subfloor first. Or perhaps I should advise them to buy Wagner meters, for better accuracy ;-). This summer I milled several 1.25 boards from a fir log that had been cut around 10 years ago. Thank you. Based on common guidelines or recommendations, the acceptable moisture levels for wood are as follows: Keep in mind that a woods acceptable moisture level will depend primarily on how it will be finally used and the average RH where it will be finally used. Reference scales are preferred more to determine whether the material is too dry or too wet. Some moisture meters use a range from 0-100 and others use a range from 0-300. This can be a problem once installed in furniture or a floor. Do you have any recommendations of a local professional we could hire to review the situation and provide an opinion? How would be the best way to prevent mold from growing on the furniture. There are different methods for determining moisture content, and among them, using a moisture meter is the most popular way. Thank you. This can happen with furniture, cabinets, or wood flooring. 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. 15% is too high, at least for hardwoods. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. My meter tells me anything above 12% is wet but I cannot find any source of leaking or signs of water. It does the same for wood, and is especially hard on softwoods, such as pine or fir. Instead, they use electromagnetic waves, which means you dont need to penetrate any material. I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. 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. The National Association of Home Builders Green Home Building Guidelines for solid strip flooring and wide-width flooring are as follows: summary Wood flooring installers typically want the moisture content of their wood to be between 6% to 9%. We built our home from ground up and have a sealed crawl space dehumidifiers, etc In January of 2019, we had our builder and hardwood floor contractor come out because our hardwoods were starting to separate a lot. The table had a 1 3/4 X 3 1/2 thick boarder with mitred corners and biscuited. As the humidity decreases, the MC decreases, causing the wood to shrink. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In this article, Ill discuss in detail how to interpret different moisture scales. There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. In either case, the accuracy of the meter is impacted. Again, the correct moisture content will depend on the surrounding conditions. Sorry that this is so long-winded and I thank you in advance if you are willing to address this question for me. Generally speaking, moisture meters that are calibrated for wood offer a reading scale ranging from 6% to 40%. Moisture meters are crucial tools for many different professionals. I do not have a hygrometer or a moisture meter as I am a hobbyist. There are several ways to use a moisture meter with a reference scale, such as: From the name, its clear that the wood scale is used for determining moisture content in wood materials. Normal moisture meter reading on masonry Masonry refers to the building of structures using stones or bricks and a boundary material such as mortar or concrete. In their warehouse, and perhaps partly also in the container. There are two main ways of measuring wood moisture content: oven-dry testing and moisture meter testing. Speak to a moisture meter specialist from Delmhorst! That is still quite a wide range. Because of the different materials involved, they will react differently to high heat, thus giving you an un-even plywood surface. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If a drywall board weighing 100 pounds contains 1 pound of water, then the moisture content of the board is 1/99 (~1%). 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. Indoor humidity is around 50%, indoor temps around 70 degrees. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. The levels were between 20 and 23%. Mold starts growing if the moisture contents reaches about 25% moisture content. You mentioned it was installed just 3 days after it was delivered. The wood will still react in humid or dry conditions. Thank you. Indoor humidity levels should be between 30% to 50%, with the ideal level being about 45%. Mansel, I would just keep an eye out for now. Here is a bit of information to help you better understand moisture meter readings: Understanding how a moisture meter works is crucial for understanding moisture meter readings and what can affect them. Hi Ron We need an expert locally to diagnose what went wrong with our bamboo floors. Larry: I recently had my annual termite inspection. 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. Wood in buildings usually has a 5% to 15% moisture content. The Spruce / Cori Sears. There will most likely be some shrinkage, so if possible, choose the clearest boards possible to lessen the possibility of any major cracking. Another issue of these types of meters is their inability to allow the user to fine tune meters settings for wood species. Why? 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? Great info! i cored out a small section of the bottom beam (3 inches wide) all the way down to the foundation. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. Knowing how to understand moisture meter readings and the various factors that affect moisture meter accuracy can be crucial for getting reliable moisture testing results. For example, if the temperature in the room is around 80 F, and the RH is 50%, then a safe level of moisture in the wall would be about 9.1% MC. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. So, before starting work on any moisture testing task, be sure to check what reading mode the meter is in. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In other words, wood in interior locations will equilibrate in this range. in other words, the formula to calculate the moisture content of something is: This way, if the moisture content of a 13-pound block of wood in 30%, it simply means that there are 3 pounds of water in the block and when the block in dry, it only weighs 10 pounds. Hay scales are popular among farmers and distributors of hay. Im looking for the % number that will be my upper boundary for oil application Would 12% be ok? Water was coming out of this outlet and onto the floor? Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. What is a normal reading on a moisture meter? It is possible, in some species, to have a moisture content higher than 100 percent. In this case, what Built in # that I can use to measure flooring. A high-quality moisture meter used on the right material can be accurate to within less than 0.1% of the materials moisture content by weight. You should be aware that a moisture reading of 0-15% is quite normal and gives no cause for concern. An amazing application for drywall scale meters is checking the moisture content of Gyp-Crete flooring because drywall meters are calibrated for measuring moisture in this material. or finally the product will be placed where. For the past couple months, we have smelled musty smells and called out the property manager to check for leaks/mold. The subfloor registered from 12% to 17% . My question is microwaving twice turned bowls what would be the general rule of thumb for a target by weight. Using a moisture meter before painting can help you determine the moisture content of the wood. ie SW=Starting weight, TW=Target weight, using T%=Target percentage My calculation ( T% X SW = TW). The normal outside equilibration moisture content (EMC) for Indiana is anywhere from 13% to 16%. Then placing his pin meter on the screws. Any input would be most appreciated. Observed water leaking along seams of several sheets of original plywood in attic. Now if you are testing exterior wood that has direct contact with the surrounding humidity, you can tolerate values that are up to 20%. The next sheet is 21.5% adjacent to 2X4. Why would flaws in the material being tested matter? If the surface is not completely dry the readings will be off. In general, a reading of 5 to 12 percent is optimal, but a normal reading on a moisture meter depends on the material. The moisture content of wood is defined as the ratio of the weight of the water in the piece of wood to the weight of the piece of wood without the water. Furniture grade wood is typically dried to a target of 6%-9%. isnt it? in general, any reading between 6 and 10% is considered normal here. Pin-type meters are also sensitive to the woods chemical makeup, which varies according to species. While relative humidity can have some effect on moisture levels, drywall is considered to have an appropriate level of moisture if it has a moisture content of between 5% and 12%. However, moisture readings in excess of 15% indicate the need for further inspection. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Therefore, a normal moisture meter reading for gypsum in between 0.2% and 1%. Will the reading be accurate? 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. Perhaps try to seal the vapor barrier better around the piers. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? At lower temperatures, the resistance of a material increases. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. Thanks for the question. I live in coastal South Carolina .we are definitely afraid of mold formation. The most common settings are for softwood, hardwood, masonry, and drywall. According to Dr. Gene Wengert, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 75% of all wood manufacturing and quality issues are related to moisture content. Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. Masonry refers to the building of structures using stones or bricks and a boundary material such as mortar or concrete. If your reading is over 20%, you may need to replace the drywall entirely. Hope this helps. 877-335-6467 Dealer Portal My question for you is: after a smallish unheated underground space (similar to a basement, i.e. Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent mold from getting on the wood? 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. Two questions I need a reliable, easy to use meter that can cover all species as I now have a portable mill and that can be used for treated. Required fields are marked *. As lumber dries, it may split, cup and warp. A normal moisture meter reading on wood ranges between 6 and 10%. Wagners Orion series of meters are the most accurate wood moisture meters on the market. If you don't see a reading after 60 seconds, remove the probe, gently wipe it down, and try again in a different location. Your help for resolving this issue would be highly appreciated . Assess them to figure out which is the best tool for the job. A quality moisture meter is a perfect tool for spotting wood moisture issues before they become big problems. As a result, the normal moisture meter reading for these materials in between 0.5% and 1%. Now, during your tests and checks, if the values you get are above the baseline, it probably means there is more moisture than what your sample has. Too wet and you get fuzzing. A popular moisture meter called Delmhorsts KS-D1 soil moisture meter uses the reference scale (along with special gypsum sensor blocks) to diagnose the available moisture content in the soil. 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. Pin-type meters are more sensitive than pinless meters to naturally-occurring chemicals and minerals in the wood and wood temperature variations. However, even for a reference scale meter with a 0-100 range, the number provided is not an absolute, percentage-based indication of moisture content. Wood is hygroscopic. Thanks. The humidity in the room is currently 40! These meters provide a qualitative, or estimated, assessment of the moisture content of a material. ft. of concrete, and another hole for each additional 1,000 sq. Hi Larry, So a friend of mine has some pine and oak blabs at MC levels of (oak 11.5%) and Pine 13-14%. Typical humidity levels inside a home is between 40 to 50%. With pin meters, the standing water on the top of a piece of wood can cause the electrical current to be routed through the water instead of the material being tested. Cut in the spring and stacked and dried them over the summer. Had fans and dehumidifer running for 17 days starting 2 days after leak. Cheers, Howard Pruden in Edmonton, Alberta where its cold and dry. I removed an of the foam insulation. 541-582-0541 or from North America, 800-634-9961. This helps to prevent the electricity from escaping from the base of the electrodes and passing through the water. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. I would have thought that if the floor gave a 99.9% water saturation reading, it would have had to have been noticeably wet. I am shipping teakwood furniture from Indonesia to California. My thought is maybe to get one of your meter for greater accuracy? For example, pinless moisture meters are typically faster and easier to use than pin meters; they also can scan large areas in less time. Drywall (or gypsum) is not as delicate as wood. Gareth, Im not sure that the 23% MC reading is accurate; it sounds pretty high, but nonetheless, it appears as if you dont have a problem, but if you have concerns about possible mold, I suggest you also contact NORMI, https://www.normi.org and see if they can help you locate a certified inspector near you. As we have already mentioned on different occasions, all the values that we have discussed so far in this article are for dedicated moisture meters. Instead, it just means that the moisture content of the material represents 20% of the reference scale. For many industries, its very necessary to determine moisture content. A possibility is that this baseball size spot has a large knot or is higher in density, which can cause higher readings even though the MC is the same as other areas. A 10% moisture content reading means that 10% of a wood samples weight is due to water in the wood. Wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning it picks up or loses moisture based on the ambient conditions. Hi Ron, My BF moved into a downstairs apartment that is very shaded (2 miles from the beach). In contrast, Las Vegas in the drier Southwest has much lower EMC percentages than most other U.S. cities. Depending on the type of project and where you live, the required wood moisture content is usually in the 6-12% 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The moisture reading scales are designed to determine a specific, quantitative amount of moisture content (%MC) in a particular type of material. You should be aware that a moisture reading of 0-15% is quite normal and gives no cause for concern. I had a water leak under my crawl space which has 3 inches of foam insulation applied to the underside of the sub floor. In the wood scale, the meter can detect moisture accurately over a range of 6% MC to 40% MC. 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%. Moisture on the surface of a material being tested. Tom Laurenzi We are trying to understand what happened & how to prevent it from happening with a new floor. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(196934, 'e0b23ea6-dba6-4e9a-9a5a-da5fd4d40a3c', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Sign up now to receive updates on our latest blogs and news. Can I get a away with this? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Different materials will have physical properties that make them react differently when tested with a moisture meter. Ive been following your in depth blog on moisture meters for around 1 year now. Failure to account for temperature variations and a woods chemical makeup will reduce the accuracy of even the best pin-type moisture meters. My question is regarding finishing. 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. The type of material the moisture meter is calibrated for is usually referred to as the meters moisture reading scale. 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. Be sure to acclimate the wood to desired EMC of the interior environment before you use it. The interior was 3/4 BW the tables dimensions were 40x 70 . Walls in homes with healthy humidity levels typically have a moisture reading between 12-15%. Here is a link to our new line of meters: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. Thanks for the the information, very detailed and useful. 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%. Not using the correct procedure. They are currently nearing equilibrium (around 12 MC) and are stored within the house. Things start to get worrying when the meter indicates higher values than 20%.2020-11-06 However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. I recommend one of our Orion models: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/. The containers that we have received so far have arrived wet and mouldy. Condensation can be a sign of high humidity. Should it be less? The floor immediately felt stronger. I checked it with my new moisture meter and had a reading of between 8-13.5%. What is the wood you are measuring? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 800-634-9961, or email sales@wagnermeters.com. Even in our daily lives, it has a significant role. for a mere $4900. The relative humidity of the concrete is then tested over the course of 72 hours. However, in high humidity coastal regions or other locations near large bodies of water this range may be extended to 10%. Currently reading a 12.5%. My question: what is the complete saturation reading of wood? Some higher-end moisture meters may have the ability to switch between different moisture reading scales. What are acceptable ranges of moisture for composite materials like MDF and Plywood, for indoor furniture use? Brick Stone Concrete Stucco Tile Mortar Plaster Cement Mudbrick Granite. The full saturation point of wood is 32%. The hay scale range generally remains between 6% to 40%. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Non-invasive meters have more false positives than penetrating meters. Thanks. As Sales Manager for Wagner Meters, Ron has more than 35 years of experience with instrumentation and measurement systems in different industries. The builder has not been helpful in addressing this issue. Please provide us with regular updates. I am having a section of our 3.25 Maple hardwood floor replaced. He, of course, said that type of product is insufficient. Im trying to find specs on treated lumber for NC. In cold weather climates, when a heater is running, interior conditions may be even drier than 6% EMC unless the air is humidified. #2. . Hi Ron- just purchased a home n PA and had the roof inspected which showed a leak on the plywood directly under the shingles. I had a quick looked around the crawl space and didnt notice any structure damage. 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. In these high moisture and more humid locations, wood indoors can reach a 12% EMC, while wood outdoors can attain a 16% EMC. The moisture reading scales are designed to determine a specific, quantitative amount of moisture content (%MC) in a particular type of material. Would it still be 9% for pressure treated wood? A wood moisture content of 47% is too high. Good luck. 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.