Acceptable Moisture Content In Hardwood Flooring

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

Acceptable moisture content in hardwood flooring.

The relationship between the moisture content of the hardwood boards and that of the subflooring determines whether or not the wood is acceptable for installation. Before you lay the first plank you must ensure that the moisture level in the concrete subfloor is low enough that it will not affect your flooring. Then the hardwood flooring moisture content must be within 2 4 of the subfloor moisture. Hardwood floors the maximum subfloor moisture level will be either 12 or 13 depending upon the manufacturer.

Some woods naturally have more extreme moisture contents ranging from 4 to 18 but oak floors are generally in the 6 to 9 range. If the moisture content of wood flooring isn t right then it can warp buckle or even delaminate causing significant damage and ruining the aesthetic value of the flooring. You must test the concrete slab for excessive moisture. Household hardwood floors should have a moisture content between 6 and 9 but the percentage will be affected by the type of wood the weight of the wood and many other factors.

The most accurate measurement for moisture content in wood is the oven bake out. Wood moisture meters for flooring applications come in two varieties. To make sure that the moisture content of wood flooring is in the right range many professionals use flooring moisture meters to test their wood flooring materials and. But before you begin it s important to understand that moisture measurement and management is crucial to both the concrete slab and also the hardwood flooring.

Measuring moisture in wood flooring. The hardwood flooring s moisture content mc should be in balance with its surrounding ambient environment to support the. In order to ascertain these moisture values check various boards moisture content approximately 4 boards for every 100 square feet. When you install hardwood laminate or vinyl flooring over a concrete subfloor one of the most important steps to take to ensure the lasting beauty and stability of your floors is moisture testing.

Solid strip flooring less than 3 wide should have a moisture content no more than 4 percent different from the moisture content of your subflooring materials. Reaching equilibrium moisture content. Flooring installers must know the moisture content of the wood flooring as well as the subfloor. 2 for plank 3 wide or more hardwood and 4 for strip 2 wide hardwood.

The fastest way to measure moisture in floors is to use a moisture meter for wood.