Moisture Content Of Concrete For Wood Flooring

Given the realities of moisture in concrete and the necessity of measuring the moisture condition of the concrete slab accurately only one clear conclusion exists.

Moisture content of concrete for wood flooring.

Concrete slabs and floors can be excellent subfloor surfaces for tile and other floor coverings but too much moisture in the concrete can cause problems with flooring installations. Measuring moisture in wood flooring. Flooring installers must know the moisture content of the wood flooring as well as the subfloor. The emc in the recommended temperature humidity range coincides with the 6 to 9 range used by most flooring manufacturers during the manufacturing and shipping process.

Concrete and hardwood flooring have different moisture properties that must be understood for these materials to work well in tandem. Wood moisture meters for flooring applications come in two varieties. Astm f2170 in situ rh testing will give you the most reliable information to help you manage your flooring project successfully. Moisture meters can be used to check subfloors for water damage moisture content of wood subfloors prior to installing any flooring and if the hardwood is at the correct level for the subfloor.

How to install wood flooring on concrete the whole process of installing hardwood floors over concrete slabs relates to moisture measurement and control. Commonly concrete floors are vulnerable to moisture and suffer from different detrimental influence of moisture such as lifting tile off the floor rotting hardwood damping carpet coating delamination and many more. Moisture meters can be used by all flooring trades not just the hardwood installers. The national wood flooring association nwfa has a chart that indicates the moisture content of wood at any given combination of temperature and humidity.

There are two types of moisture meters for wood subfloors. Therefore it s advisable to have a floor tested for moisture content prior to installing flooring or moisture barriers. Moisture testing for wood flooring and wood subfloors. The most accurate measurement for moisture content in wood is the oven bake out.

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. These devices can be used to test the moisture content mc of wood flooring in mere seconds. 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. Ensuring wood flooring is at its ideal moisture content.

Here using a thermo hygrometer to check temperature and humidity can be invaluable. Before you can ensure that your wood flooring is at an ideal moisture content it s important to check the relative humidity of the installation site and compare that to the mc of your wood materials. Determining moisture content is an essential part of quality control within the flooring installation process.