These devices can be used to test the moisture content mc of wood flooring in mere seconds.
What is normal moisture content for hardwood.
By documenting your moisture readings you now have a reference point to go back to should a problem happen.
Plywood is usually at 12 when purchased from a warehouse that protects its inventory from the elements always check that the plywood you are buying is dry.
Here using a thermo hygrometer to check temperature and humidity can be invaluable.
For example the meter may read 12 percent moisture content which is within the normal range for some regions but which is too high in drier lower humidity areas.
Hardwood flooring should be delivered to site kiln dried at between 6 and 8 moisture content.
Seasoned firewood typically won t drop lower than around 10 moisture content because of the humidity of the atmosphere.
Moisture content weight of water ovendry weight of wood x 100 for instance suppose that a freshly sawn piece of eastern cottonwood populus deltoides weighed 50 lbs.
Of water was lost in the drying process.
There are three standard methods for measuring concrete moisture.
Before you can ensure that your wood flooring is at an ideal moisture content it s important to check the relative humidity of the installation site and compare that to the mc of your wood materials.
Measuring moisture in wood flooring.
Step 2 is documenting your readings.
A 10 moisture content reading means that 10 of a wood sample s weight is due to water in the wood.
When fully dried in an oven this means that a total of 30 lbs.
The moisture content of properly seasoned firewood should be under 20 as firewood burns its most efficiently between moisture content levels of 15 and 20.
In its initial green state and ended up weighing only 20 lbs.
By measuring and assessing concrete and wood moisture levels separately builders and homeowners lower the potential risk of future moisture related problems when combining the two materials together.
Often more than one method is used to get an accurate reading of actual moisture content.
Therefore it s advisable to have a floor tested for moisture content prior to installing flooring or moisture barriers.
If a board reads 100 difficult to measure accurately then the weight of the water equals the weight of that wood.
See the moisture content of wood chart on page 66 which lists acceptable moisture contents for wood at certain temperatures and relative humidities.
For instance you take your readings prior to installing a hardwood floor and the subfloor moisture content is 10 and the strip hardwood was at 7.
Your subfloor should be within 4 moisture content of the hardwood flooring.
Percent moisture content in wood is the ratio of the weight of water compared to the overall weight of a piece of wood.
We talked about taking moisture readings.
Ensuring wood flooring is at its ideal moisture content.
