Do You Know How Much Moisture Level is Acceptable for Wood?
Are you a wooden floor lover? If you have wooden floorings at home, you might have across the wooden shrinking and swelling because the wooden is allergic to moisture. To maintain the wooden furniture and other items in good condition for a longer time, it’s important to know the basic maintenance knowledge such as how much moisture level is fine for the wooden. Well, it depends upon the types of wood you have at home.
According to expert research, 6 to 8% of moisture content is fine for the wood, but if the moisture content is increased more than 8% then it can start causing damage to the quality of wood. Moisture content varies from season to season hence, it is important to take proper care and maintenance in every season. Consult the reputed Timber Floor Sanding Melbourne Company for effective advice and maintenance solutions. It’s obvious that moisture will be present in any form, so the question is how we can remove moisture from the wood.
- Kiln Drying:
Wooden moisture content is never constant as it depends on the interaction with the environment and climatic factors. Kiln drying is the technique to dry the moisture from the wood. Kiln drying is the widely used wooden drying technique in the industrial sectors that helps to dry the building materials and wood up to 15%. Generally, freshly cut wood is likely to be wet and contain more moisture but it usually evaporates naturally. By kiln drying technique, it helps the wood to absorb the moisture released by the wood to maintain the proper balance.
- What is the Moisture Content Acceptable for the Interior?
The moisture content differs from place to place. If it’s about exterior wood, then 6 to 8% is the acceptable moisture content. In the case of house interiors, the acceptable level of moisture content is 9 to 14 % depending on the composition and type of wood.
The wooden moisture can be measured by using a quality moisture meter. Although there are two methods that are mainly used for testing moisture levels in woods that are.
- Oven Dry Testing:
Oven dry testing is the oldest and most commonly used method for the measurement of moisture levels. This method usually produces the accurate results of wood testing. In oven-dry testing, the wood is dried in a special oven or kiln for drying and its weight is monitored periodically to determine the moisture level.
The process can be time-consuming but the difference in weight can help in determining the moisture level, it’s important to have a special oven for the drying.
- Moisture Meter Testing:
Moisture meter comes basically of two types that are pin less wood meter and pin-type wood meter. Moisture meter testing is the fastest way to test the moisture content.
Final thoughts:
To know more about moisture content meter testing, you can easily read the information in detailed online. Consult prestige floors for high-quality floor installation. We are highly experienced in floor installation and Timber Floor Sanding Melbourne. To know more about our flooring service, kindly book an appointment with us today.