![]() A quality moisture meter is a perfect tool for spotting wood moisture issues before they become big problems. Gene Wengert, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 75% of all wood manufacturing and quality issues are related to moisture content. Consider it good insurance for anyone involved with woodworking or flooring projects.Īccording to Dr. The best way to manage wood moisture content is to use a quality wood moisture meter and conduct a moisture test. This makes it easier than ever for professionals to calculate the EMC while they’re on the go. Wagner Meters’ Orion® 950 Smart Pinless Wood Moisture Meter has a built-in EMC calculator. In these high moisture and more humid locations, wood indoors can reach a 12% EMC, while wood outdoors can attain a 16% EMC. The EMC is higher in coastal areas, including parts of Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and island climates. In most of the U.S., when the wood is outdoors but protected from the rain, the wood will attain an EMC of 12% when the RH is 65%. On the other hand, in humid summer months, especially without air-conditioning, moisture levels in homes, offices, and manufacturing facilities may sometimes exceed 9% EMC. In cold weather climates, when a heater is running, interior conditions may be even drier than 6% EMC unless the air is humidified. The 50% RH level would be at the higher end of normal interior EMC values. The first two values above are fairly typical interior EMC values for most of North America’s heated and air-conditioned offices and homes. Here are some key RH values and the corresponding EMC: Relative Humidity (RH) If the air’s RH is 40% and the temperature is 68F, the wood will eventually attain an EMC of just under 8%. It stays that way as long as the RH and temperature don’t change. This happens when the moisture inside the wood reaches a balance or equilibrium with the relative humidity (RH) and temperature of the wood’s surrounding environment. Once wood acclimates to its environment, it reaches its equilibrium moisture content or EMC. Wood flooring will also shrink or expand with moisture changes even small changes can produce significant effects.įor example, a small 1/32” change per 2” multiplied across an 8-foot room equals 1 ½”. It can even cause warping and cracks in the finish. With furniture or cabinets, a 1% shrinking or swelling can result in poor-fitting drawers, doors, and joints. This can happen with furniture, cabinets, or wood flooring. However, even a shrinkage this small – maybe only several thousandths of an inch – can cause after-construction gluing problems, especially with cracks and joints. You might think that the 1% shrinkage caused by a 4% change in moisture content isn’t that much. Why is it important for woodworkers to know about moisture content? However, even with large moisture changes, wood barely shrinks or expands at all along the grain. While the amount of shrinkage or expansion varies from species to species, wood will generally shrink or expand about 1% across the grain when its moisture content changes by 4%. These problems can be easily avoided if you know the wood’s moisture content. Imagine spending hundreds of hours building a beautiful wood cabinet only to see it start to deform later. This has the potential to cause a host of problems. In other words, its physical size will change. The moisture content of wood is important because the wood will shrink or expand according to its moisture content. Depending on the type of project and where you live, the required wood moisture content is usually in the 6-12% range. You cannot know if a piece of wood is right for your project unless you know its moisture content. The moisture content of wood is defined as the ratio of the weight of the water in the piece of wood to the weight of the piece of wood without the water. EMC MEANING HOW TOHow to Choose a Moisture Measurement System for Your Sawmill Buying GuideĪnyone who works with wood must know its moisture content.Flooring, Millwork, Furniture & Cabinet Manufacturers.Why You Should Use Relative Humidity (RH) Testing. ![]()
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