Ideal Moisture Content For Wood Flooring

Then the hardwood flooring moisture content must be within 2 4 of the subfloor moisture.

Ideal moisture content for wood flooring.

Wood moisture meters should also have settings specific to wood species. Following good thermal air and moisture control especially if the building envelope or hvac system has been changed can help prevent future problems with your new floor. Wood flooring installers typically want the moisture content of their wood to be between 6 to 9. On these the user can adjust the meter to the species being read such as douglas fir or cedar.

However in some coastal areas the average rh is in the 58 to 63 range. Simply measure the moisture content of the existing wood with a moisture meter to gauge the target moisture level of a new wood floor. Moisture content of wood and lumber from a builder s perspective 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. In most cases your installation will probably in a zone with rh values between 40 and 45.

These are the safest conditions for most types of wood between 60 and 80 degrees fahrenheit and 30 to 50 rh. When it comes to subfloors it is also really important to establish the moisture levels you re dealing with before fitting your new wood flooring. Most flooring products come with a moisture content between 6 to 9. I have worked in the hardwood flooring industry for over ten years and from what i have learned 6 to 8 is considered ideal.

You definitely had some wet wood. In this chart you can see a small highlighted section. It is easy to check with a moisture meter available at many places. The cellular structure of the wood remains intact though and can still transport vapour.

2 for plank 3 wide or more hardwood and 4 for strip 2 wide hardwood. Rich in greenfield wi thumbsup. The equilibrium moisture content emc is the moisture content level at which the wood is no longer gaining nor losing moisture. This chart highlights the ideal levels of moisture in wood at various temperatures and relative humidity rh levels.

These levels are well suited to most british homes. Different species have different characteristics so they all give different readings even when the moisture content is the same. If the temperature of the building is between 75 and 85 degrees fahrenheit the equilibrium moisture content of your wood should be between 7 and 8. These levels are well suited to most british homes.

The water vapours always seek a balance with their surroundings. If the air has higher rh than the floor has mc some of its humidity will be transferred to the wood.