🌲 Wood Moisture Content Calculator
Measure sample moisture, estimate equilibrium moisture, and predict board movement before you size, mill, or assemble the wood.
The moisture content of wood is the amount of water in it regarding the weight of the dry wood. Wood is a absorbing building material, what means that it absorbs and release water vapor from the surrounding air. Because of that, the moisture always adapts to the local climate.
When the relative humidity grows, the wood takes more water. In dry surroundings wet wood contracts, during dry wood rises in humidity. That shows that moisture matters a lot, because changes can cause warp, bending or splits over time.
What Is Wood Moisture and Why It Matters
Too high moisture or cyclical change can lead to attacks on the wood.
For inside wood and lumber products accept one 6% until 8%. Exterior wood or covers in buildings require 9% until 14%. While furniture the usual level is 6%, 8%.
Some sources say that furniture wood can be 8%, 12%, flooring wood 6%, 9% and framing wood 6%, 8%. For building wood must be dried in kiln or by means of air until 19% moisture. Firewood optimumas in 15%, 20%.
Above 20% you considers wet, under 15% too dry.
Lumber moisture meter help to measure exactly those levels. It passes electrical electricity through the wood and estimate the resistance. For control, you splits a log and bid on the fresh split face.
Well are have under 20% moisture. Some meters without pins, as Wagner either Lignomat, cost $300, $400 or more. Use meter for control drying are usefull a lot.
Unequal wood will dry after usage what causes boards twist, joints open or finishes crack.
Wood balances when the internal water no any more evaporates, because moisture matches to that of the air. The balanced moisture (EMC) of lumber depend of the relative humidity in closed place as home or kiln. For instance, lumber in Arizona has fewer balanced moisture than in the Pacific Northwest winter.
In United Kingdom the exterior balanced moisture does not fall under 12% early summer, and winter it reaches almost 20% because of the humid climate.
