acceptable moisture levels in floor joists

I would have thought that if the floor gave a 99.9% water saturation reading, it would have had to have been noticeably wet. We also have an Orion 950 moisture meter that will automatically give you EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content) and other useful statistics. Pinless meters are non-penetrating and read the moisture content via a non-damaging electromagnetic sensor that scans the wood. In this case, what Built in # that I can use to measure flooring. I have about 3,000 sqft on my first floor and this was relatively consistent throughout. Best of luck with your project. Both times, the tables were flawless, but after 2-3 weeks in their new home both table tops had major crack issues. Please provide us with regular updates. The front of the . Cracks in Concrete Slabs: Should I Be Concerned? However, it Most are reading are between 13-15%. Ceilings account for 35%, walls - 25% and windows 25%. 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%. Hello, I am renovating my kitchen and installing hardwood floors. You should be ok as long as the moisture content does not get worse (higher). The new wood was brought in in bundles ~2 x 2 x 6 and left that way to acclimate for ~2 weeks. board will move 3 times the amount as a 4-in. i am baffled. Lower differential means slower heat loss. Your reading of 12.5% tells me it is workable. : Mold & Fungus In the Crawlspace. You will however, need to become familiar with reading your local floor joist span tables for floor beams, floor joists, window and door lintels, ceiling joists, roof joists, roof rafters, and roof ridge beams, as well as the sizing and spacing of wood studs tables. 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. (864) 506-4701, South Carolina Residential Construction Standards, http://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.png. 16% - 20%- Readings in this range indicate a possible elevated level of wood moisture. Some wood you buy from a lumber store can be higher than 14% but typically range between 12-14%. What do you recommend? Wood moisture content between 0% and about 28% is dependent upon the relative humidity (RH) of the air. 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. I am planning an under-house excursion tomorrow. In an air conditioned house the wood floor. I have used spar urethane as a finish on a few other 12 to 18 MC (semi-wet) log projects that turned out wonderfully. 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. The wood has been kiln dried and packed in corrugate. Wiki User. Very educational! Additional care is necessary if laying parallel to the joists and sheet subfloors can sag between the joist. The thinner veneers wont have much bearing on the reading. That is still quite a wide range. Thanks. 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. I gladly obliged. As this moisture condenses on the floor system, it wets the wood. 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. 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. Hi Larry, thanks for the great knowledge sharing. 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. As it dries, you should expect slight changes in width and length. I had several of the varnished decorative hardwood laminated ply panels replaced in the lounge on an air conditioned luxury yacht. Do you agree with this? The size of the lumber used for floor joists is the single greatest determining factor in terms of how far a joist can span. However, kiln drying is used to speed up the process. 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. Meanwhile, the reference scale can be used to provide qualitative moisture assessments in other building materials. A termite repair company (also licensed contractors) told me that I needed to replace the planks on my second story deck. Thanks. The same study showed a 40% loss in joint strength and concluded that a 20% MC may significantly compromise shear resistance of exterior walls. A dehumidifier in the crawlspace will help but can be expensive. Thank you, In wood products manufacturing, 6-8% is pretty much the norm, at least in North America. I used my Wagner meter and it Measured in the 10% area. Oiling the surface does not control the moisture in the wood. we are presently constructing a new timber frame residence on ocean front in BC, Canada. Im looking for the % number that will be my upper boundary for oil application Would 12% be ok? Download a free version of NZS 3602:2003. This can be a problem once installed in furniture or a floor. 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. Why and how can I say this? Mold and fungus in the crawl space can definitely become a problem, but dont be fooled into thinking that a Borate spray HAS to be applied in EVERY situation. Box 1088, Roseburg, OR 97470 Tel. When determining the acceptable moisture levels in wood flooring before installation, the NWFA states that the flooring professional should establish a baseline for acclimation. Every home's foundation repair needs are different based on soil type, type of foundation problem, and climate. The cause that may produce this will be discussed in the section "Biodeteration of flood". It constantly absorbs and releases vapour into the . Its never constant. Whether youre a woodworker making cabinets, a wood flooring professional installing hardwood floors, or if you use wood in construction, wood moisture content (MC) should be always on your mind. This makes pinless moisture meters perfect for measuring the moisture content of things like expensive hardwood floors. I built the tables in west Texas, but their final home is in Colorado. I found your website at just the right time. Back to top. My plan is to make a wall-mounted headboard out of angle iron and these boards (boards will not be joined). Doesnt sound like this has been a problem in the past. The problem is some of the water made its way under the basmenet bathroom floor which is dricor with electric heating wire on top, then tiles, and unfortunately it looks like some of the dricor wood got wet as well! If the wood would really arrive with a MC of 14%, we would not have any problems. One of our new line of moisture meters will help locate areas of high moisture, if it still exists. 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. As a result, the normal moisture meter reading for these materials in between 0.5% and 1%. I hope that helps. Be on the lookout for flooring failures such as swelling, buckling, cupping, etc. Cheers, Howard Pruden in Edmonton, Alberta where its cold and dry. Turn on the meter. Replaced the subfloor, which is . 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. I cant speak for the home inspector who has raised concerns, or what his experience level is, but I can assure you that the floor joists beneath this home are no different than 90% of the floor joists I have inspected over the past three decades. What wood do you recommend that does not have a high oil/water content? The next question is almost the same as before, if we have various kinds of wood, such as March wood, mango wood, pine. Thank you so much for your time and expertise. Do you think that heated floor actually help to dry or do they make things worse and more humid! Insert the pins into the surface of the wood you want to test. Free Webinar The What, Why, and How of Wood Moisture Testing. The flooring pieces should be removed from the packaging to allow the ambient conditions to equalize the wood. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Its always a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the finish also. The wood joists are not soaked wet, its just a light film of moisture on the wood members. Before installing plywood underlayment, ensure that the existing flooring is thoroughly vacuumed, free from debris, and stripped of wax. The ideal moisture content will depend on the humidity indoors. The interior wood moisture level should be 12% or lower before painting. If there are quite small amounts of moisture in a wall of dense plaster or brick, then a meter will probably indicate over 20% or so and this will be in the 'red zone' or beeps and squeeks may happen. Summers are hot and dry while winters can be cool. Drying teak hardwood from a humid climate, for use outdoors in a much drier European climate? Wood shrinks or swells as its moisture content changes, but only when water is taken up or given off from the cell walls. Any thoughts as to what the issue was with the first install so we dont have the same issue again next year after we go through a new install? Which do you recommend? The MC varies from 7% 13.5% around the exterior door on dry days and 10%-16% during rains. Pinless moisture meters are even easier to use. Top 5 Causes of Cracks in Brick Veneer Homes. Mold growth can be limited if the MC of wood can be kept below 20%. Here is a link to our website for more information: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-950-smart/. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. And would it be normal for the MC to vary from board-to-board and one end of a board to the other? This must be done before attempting to dry out the wood. Great info! Also, there is a risk of mold. 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. I do not have a hygrometer or a moisture meter as I am a hobbyist. 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. To do so: Make two vertical cuts through the joist a safe distance away from each end of the rotten section. This water may come from condensation, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, or contact with the soil. It is possible, in some species, to have a moisture content higher than 100 percent. Both slab-on-ground and suspended concrete floors for wet areas: are deemed impervious when steel trowel finished or polished. The maximum subfloor moisture level for solid strip flooring or wide-width solid flooring is either 12% or 13%, depending on the manufacturer. I have an unusual question, if I was to sandwich recycled paper (similar to hardwood floor paper only heavier) between 2 layers of wood as a draft stop what should the moisture content be to avoid the paper absorbing any water and ending up with a mold issue thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Since wood is hygroscopic, it loses or gains moisture depending on the relative humidity of the surrounding air. 1. Great article, thanks for the info. Thank you for the information, I use a lot of trimmed for for children toys, menu times I use rings of 1-3 inch in diameter, For these purposes I dont care for wood shrinkage or wraping, Two things are important for me that wood will not crack, and that mold wont develop. During the summer, moisture content readings above . Other than causing structural damage, too much water can result in mold growth. (Itd effectively seal the cavity under the vanity, so once the trim is back on, i dont think itll dry out much more.) Fungus loves wet wood. The wood will still react in humid or dry conditions. 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. Hello and thanks for writing in. i want to make a headboard from it. Im on a grade-level concrete slab, and the water made its way over (under the tiles) to my sink vanity. It is best to replace the particle board subfloor. For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. What should be the approximate Highest MC to prevent wood problems to include finishes? Wall Corners-Perpendicular within 1/4" in 10'. Limit the length of notches to 1/3 of the joist's depth. Phil, what are you making with the cedar, and in what type of environment will it be? Water Level Survey: Are You Smarter Than an Egyptian? 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%. When it comes to the moisture content of plywood or dimensional lumber, an MC of 17% to 19% reduces the overall strength of plywood, and an MC of 20% or more reduces the strength of dimensional lumber (i.e., lumber cut to certain predefined sizes, such as 2x4s). If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802. Substructures with WMC in this range may show decay or rot in floor joist, sills, and subflooring. The angle iron will prevent much warping, and I do plan on finishing all sides (and ends). Your email address will not be published.

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