acceptable moisture levels in floor joists

In the Midwest, the EMC of wood or lumber in Des Moines, Iowa, ranges from 12.4% to 14.9%. I removed an of the foam insulation. About 5/16 penetration into the wood measures 8% using pins only. This is for furniture-grade hardwoods. 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 size of the lumber used for floor joists is the single greatest determining factor in terms of how far a joist can span. Retain this information with your records. The home inspectors working for fees today seem to have one primary motive in mind: to cover their liabilities. In general, all wood products will swell with an increase in moisture content and shrink with a decrease in moisture content. Please help with T%, I have seen where 30% moisture loss by weight is a good rule of thumb to shoot for. We found out that RH at the final location was under 20%. Here is a good source for mold and wood: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=j6WRW76_NdmT0PEPkN29kAc&q=wood+moisture+content+and+mold&oq=moisture+content+and+mold&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i22i30l3.8963.15970..206760.0..0.100.1475.25j10.1..gws-wiz..0..0j0i131.PkfEQYRef9I. Jerry, From a moisture standpoint, water in the basement can over time absorb into your subfloor. Everyone who works with wood needs to understand how wood interacts with moisture in the environment. Pinless moisture meters are even easier to use. Thanks in advance for your input! Three years ago, the floor sank in a heavy traffic area and an engineer told me Masonite was used to shim and had compressed. Your cost could be more or less, depending on the size of the floor area. Because pinless meters scan the woods surface and cover a larger area than pin-type meters, they provide a more thorough picture of the woods moisture content. There was a board that cracked along a glue line. We are manufacturer of eng wood flooring. . Here is a link to a moisture meter I recommend: https://www.wagnermeters.com/shop/orion-910-deep/. board. Is this dry enough that Id be able to reinstall the trim over the particleboard? board will move 3 times the amount as a 4-in. Oh no! The optimal humidity in a home is generally 35%-55% and anything under 20% is actually considered unhealthy, as it dries out the skin. These include warping, cracking, buckling, diminished wood strength, corrosion of fasteners, and even fungal growth. 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. 18 years ago the moist content (MC) of the beams and joist was 24% in an area of the crawl space that floods in spring. About how long do you think we should allow the new wood to acclimate in the end use environment before installing it? I would not recommend re-drying finished plywood. hj0Ed=h].J-)_q},jR3$\ eH"wCk)E)J8 This must be done before attempting to dry out the wood. I would think at least fixing your dehumidifier is a must. 2. Im on a grade-level concrete slab, and the water made its way over (under the tiles) to my sink vanity. You are correct, furniture grade hardwood is typically dried between 6 to 9%. Your subfloor moisture level should be no greater than seven to nine percent when you are installing flooring. Wall Corners-Perpendicular within 1/4" in 10'. primer, the moisture vapor transmissions rate (MVtr) from the substrate should not be in excess of 5 lbs. Remove Moisture From The Air - If your crawl space has a lot of ventilation, you should be able to set up a large fan in the opening of the crawl space and leave it to run for 10 to 12 hours. Currently reading a 12.5%. . However, it hello I been getting very sick in my home so I had my manger do a mold and moisture test which came back high level of moisture levels which a contractor wants to take the sub floor up and 2 to 4 inches of the wall but my apartment manger is not releasing to report and hes is saying the spore test didnt pick up any mold spore question is it safe for me and my family to be in the home with high level of moisture in the restroom which the floor have been really soft for over 9 months now as well as the kids bedroom where a pipe burst. Not using the correct procedure. A subfloor needs to be clean, dry, level and structurally sound. During the summer months in the northeast region, wood subfloors and floor joists often measure 19. The wood and varnish appear otherwise pristine, uncracked and not bubbled or clouded in any way. You mentioned it was installed just 3 days after it was delivered. Softwoods typically have higher moisture content than hardwoods. It is best to allow the wood to equilibrate to the room environment. As the humidity increases, the MC increases, causing the wood to expand. Logs, siding, shiplap, and T&G must be kiln-dried to stop the wood from shrinking or pulling apart. Looking back at pictures of the build process, they brought the hardwood bundles into my home in late October of 2017 and installed them 3 days later. As with plywood subfloors, if there is movement or squeaks, refasten the subfloor to the joists and set protruding fasteners into the subfloor. Use a level to determine if the floor is level within 3/16-inch change per 10 feet. Thanks for the reply. in other hardwood areas that wasnt close to the water, was measuring about 16-19%. moisture meter testing a floor joist In this image we measure a reading of 37% in this floor joist. water leaked over the edge. A Brick Veneer Crack Tragedy: A True Story, Spraying for Mold on Floor Joists: Pest Control. Subtract the width of your floor joist from your floor's length: 120" 1.5" = 118.5". I did not find any information on Matumi. Best of luck with your project. I live in michigan (humid summer, long cold winter). The wood joists are not soaked wet, its just a light film of moisture on the wood members. I want to use it to build a table and will be moving it to the location where I will work on it shortly. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802. Obviously, the ambient conditions within which the wood or paper is present can alter the MC% of the wood or paper. I wanted to talk to someone at Wagner about moisture guages and is there a dealer near Chattanooga, TN. Second, would the same pine slab, would it be okay to use for a side table or Kitchen island. Where are you located? 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. Surface molds may develop. 2. Typically, allow about 3 weeks for hardwood to acclimate in the environment. z .XWb*QGF^v4MQ`_dRw{\;\'03Uhx-SeJlc!m\8X^,Z/hU5Ewdzz:`nZ!(7reWD4X. Should you check moisture levels on a trailor floor on a massive rainy day? He wants to install his companys system, seal all external openings around connections, etc. They delivered the wood one day, and began to stain and install it over the next two days, finishing on the 6th day. What humidity content should cedar be at for proper gluing. For severely rotten joists though, you're going to want to remove the rotten section. I also applied Boracare (boron) that has stopped minor beetle damage. Perhaps better drainage around your house will do the trick or treat. We dont know if we still have leaks? Percent moisture content in wood is the ratio of the weight of water compared to the overall weight of a piece of wood. Over a year ago, I re-shim all the piers with metal shims. An MC in this range, therefore, is considered sufficiently dry for exterior in-service wood. Thank you for your very informative knowledge about all of the items on this page. Outdoor temp is 99*F. Is this normal? As it dries, you should expect slight changes in width and length. I have seen home built in the dead of winter, covered in snow, and still dry out enough for a successful home build. So what do you think is the ideal moisture% I should dry them to before rotary polishing them? (He didnt cite a figure.) Im not sure I can really answer this question. What is a Proper Structural Engineering Inspection? 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. Timber framing needs to be dried to acceptable moisture content levels as stipulated in NZS 3602:2003 Timber and wood-based products for use in building. I gladly obliged. Thanks!!! -ThA?> =v\0r5#v ,J\Byt)%*?I!PT`FdCE N a^1IMm[?x>7RFH +=\ There is over three foot of block above grade around the entire house. I have removed the 1 3/4 edge and resawn to take out the splinter (1/4) re bicuited . All Rights Reserved. Since Im drying them outside, being in AK I would like to work with them if possible before the long moist winter. As long as the moisture content does not exceed those readings you should be ok. Using a moisture meter before painting can help you determine the moisture content of the wood. Free Webinar The What, Why, and How of Wood Moisture Testing. You can check for moisture by using a moisture meter. That doesnt make much sense to me. With a concrete subfloor you should use a digital hygrometer, which needs to be left in place for at least 24 hours. A contractor is measuring sill plates by driving 2 SS Screws into the wood about 1-1/2 or so inches. 17 and the flooring is at 6 to 7. For example, a 26 Southern Pine joist can span 12'. i also drilled into the wood every few inches, several inches deep with a typical drill bit. Will your meters work to find MC levels for composites? This summer I milled several 1.25 boards from a fir log that had been cut around 10 years ago. For solid strip flooring (less than 3 wide) there should be no more than a 4% difference in moisture content between properly acclimated wood flooring and subflooring materials. During the increased average temperatures of spring and summer, timber moisture content reduces to more acceptable levels. The plywood setting is .57. I am building a farm style dining table with pecan 2 thick X 8-0 long boards. Were in northern Indiana, humid summers long cold winters. Dryer wood produces more resistance than wetter wood. If you want, just give me a call at 800-634-9961, ext 225. Last reviewed: 12 Sep 2021 Last published: 12 Sep 2021. the curb is built with 3 2/4s stacked on each other. There is only so much moisture a piece of wood can give up, over time, before a failure occurs. Thanks Mark, The EMC outside and the wood should be the same. My plan is to make a wall-mounted headboard out of angle iron and these boards (boards will not be joined). Larry: I recently had my annual termite inspection. With a Wagner L606, I am getting MC readings 12%->15.5% . 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. But when you touch the pins to the embedded screws, you get between 14 and 24 % in various areas of the board. 16% - 20%- Readings in this range indicate a possible elevated level of wood moisture. Do you think its to early to start working with it.If so how many yrs will it take to get to proper mc so i can work with it. with the spring thaw, i was one of the lucky ones that got water in my basement. The shipping time is approximately 45 day in a 40 container to the west coast . In an air conditioned house the wood floor. (Itd effectively seal the cavity under the vanity, so once the trim is back on, i dont think itll dry out much more.) I have one question with regards to pinless moisture meters and wallboard/Sheetrock. Wood freshly cut or kiln-dried is always interacting with environmental moisture. Great article! The builder's warranty representative came out and measured the moisture levels with a moisture meter. But the table will be inside? at one spot, its 40%. Here is a link to a calculator and table: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html. 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