Normal Moisture Levels In Attics

By adding moisture to the lower floor you increase the partial pressure of the water vapor which pushes it to areas of lower vapor pressure like the attic.

Normal moisture levels in attics.

The short answer to this very involved question and the pages of temperature and humidity level data you sent is yes there is a risk that moisture from humid air in your attic will condense on. Attics can get very hot and humid in the summer. This easy to follow diy guide will show you how to monitor your attic s heat and moisture levels so you can afford these problems. Wood moisture content is the weight of water in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of oven dry weight of wood.

The average rh of the environment where the wood will be used. But we can t leave it a week without the dehumidifier running that s all it takes to get up to an average 70 percent humidity and climbing. The normal indoor humidity range in winter should be 15 to. Why is this important to understand.

During the winter months the recommended relative humidity inside a house is anywhere between 30 50 percent. Humidity settings are another issue that can make or break the performance of your heating and cooling systems and your attic ventilation. In the wood scale the meter can detect moisture accurately over a range of 6 mc to 40 mc. Wood in buildings usually has a wood moisture content of 5 to 15.

Even in winter condensation can be problem if the attic is too warm. Mostly because there are many misunderstandings of what is an appropriate level for wood moisture levels especially in the crawlspace. The bd 2100 s drywall moisture meter readings are accurate in gypsum to moisture content percentages as low as 0 2 and as high as 50. If there is excessive moisture accumulation in your attic it will condense on cold areas mainly on the underside of your roof deck.

The acceptable moisture levels of wood and lumber are in the range of 6 to 8 for interior and 9 to 14 for exterior wood or for building envelope components within constructed assemblies. The wood s final use. If you raise the attic temperature the rh in both places would be the same. This creates the perfect environment for mold and mildew to form.

Fresh cut trees can have a wood moisture content over 200 while completely dried wood will have a wood moisture content of 0. So they equalize pretty quickly. If looking at an attic at a 110 degree f temperature and 80 relative humidity the wood moisture content would correlate to a 14 7 wood moisture content.