Moisture Testing Concrete For Wood Floors

Flooring of the time adjusted to the regions average moisture content.

Moisture testing concrete for wood floors.

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. Therefore it s advisable to have a floor tested for moisture content prior to installing flooring or moisture barriers. These devices can be used to test the moisture content mc of wood flooring in mere seconds. A definitive test that measures the amount of moisture released from the concrete requires a calcium chloride kit or a relative humidity meter.

Wood moisture meters for flooring applications come in two varieties. First test the moisture level of the subfloor. The desired moisture content of your gypsum should be less than 1 mc. When it is the moisture levels can cause floor coverings to fail.

Taking a moment to test gyp crete with a moisture meter can help avoid problems associated with building on the underlayment before it s ready. Reputable builders understand the value of using a proven moisture test for concrete slabs and an accurate wood moisture meter for hardwood flooring applications. Pin meters use electrical resistance to measure the presence of moisture in wood flooring. To determine if your hardwood floors need to be acclimated you can use a wood floor moisture test.

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. Ideally it should be between 7 and 9. 1 in most regions of the country a dry wood subfloor that is ready to work has a moisture content of 12 percent or less or down to about 6 in states with low rh relative humidity. Wood subfloors are actually easy to check for moisture content just test for moisture at several locations in the room and average the results fig.

In earlier days trees were often used for flooring from surrounding forests. If installing wooden floors these meters can double as a hardwood floor moisture meter. The concrete wood combination can be both beautiful and lasting once moisture issues are addressed and managed. Testing wood subfloors.

In general 12 moisture or above is too wet to install flooring. Testing with either method will tell you how precisely how much moisture is present making it possible to choose a surface flooring that is appropriate. 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. It s important to understand the testing process on concrete subfloors and the implications of moisture on flooring performance in order to plan project timelines and budgets accordingly and to.