Test Moisture Content Of Wood For Hardwood Floors

Determining moisture content is an essential part of quality control within the flooring installation process.

Test moisture content of wood for hardwood floors.

Measuring moisture in wood flooring. However in some coastal areas the average rh is in the 58 to 63 range. This helps you know whether wood is too wet or dry and by how much. At the time of installation as the installer you should know the moisture content of the wood flooring the moisture condition of the substrate and the ambient conditions in the space.

If any of these warning signs are present the wood floor should be checked with a wood moisture meter as soon as possible. In most cases your installation will probably in a zone with rh values between 40 and 45. Flooring installers must know the moisture content of the wood flooring as well as the subfloor. In many types of hardwood flooring excess moisture can cause the wood to appear slightly darker than it should be.

Pinless meters use electromagnetic radio frequencies to scan hardwood floors to a fixed depth. One of the oldest ways to measure the moisture content of any hygroscopic material is the oven dry test. First the meter has a broad moisture detection range in wood from 5 to 60. The rdm 3 is a wood moisture meterwith a bevy of special functions built in for the professional flooring installer.

A good rule of thumb is that the subfloor moisture content should be within 3 4 percentage points of the flooring to be installed before proceeding. This test has two methods described in astm d4442 method a and method b the primary scientific test and the secondary method respectively. The normal moisture content of wood or emc varies from 7 19 depending on the rh in the air. The determination of moisture content is an essential part of quality control within the flooring installation process.

Pin meters use electrical resistance to measure the presence of moisture in wood flooring. Moisture testing for wood flooring and wood subfloors. Hardwood floors are typically milled at about 6 7 percent moisture and they can get up to 10 percent without significantly changing form. Because wood is an insulator and water is a conductor.

The most accurate measurement for moisture content in wood is the oven bake out method. You will want to make sure that the moisture level of your flooring is within 2 4 percent of the moisture level of your subfloor. Flooring specialists should test several areas of a wood subfloor to be certain conditions are acceptable for the final flooring installation.