Acceptable Moisture Levels In Gym Flooring

This chart highlights the ideal levels of moisture in wood at various temperatures and relative humidity rh levels.

Acceptable moisture levels in gym flooring.

Keep in mind that a wood s acceptable moisture level will depend primarily on how it will be finally used and the average rh where it will be finally used. Based on common guidelines or recommendations the acceptable moisture levels for wood are as follows. How moisture gets into concrete. Electronic concrete moisture meters.

Then the hardwood flooring moisture content must be within 2 4 of the subfloor moisture. The mfma recommends maintaining indoor humidity s between 35 50 utilizing hvac systems. 2 for plank 3 wide or more hardwood and 4 for strip 2 wide hardwood. 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.

Each species has a specific equilibrium moisture content and if the levels fall significantly below or above this point problems will ensue. Humidity considerations for floor installers once the humidity levels rise above 55 wood flooring can begin to buckle or cup. Area during a 24 hour period. Wood objects used indoors.

These are the safest conditions for most types of wood between 60 and 80 degrees fahrenheit and 30 to 50 rh. What are the acceptable moisture levels in concrete. However the wood species and the thickness or size of the wood may also factor in. For both the flooring product itself and any adhesive used in conjunction with the flooring accurate concrete moisture testing is crucial.

Acceptable moisture levels in concrete according to astm standard when testing via astm f2170 the rh level of a concrete slab needs to be at or below 75 unless the flooring system manufacturer provides alternate guidelines. It is extremely important to maintain the appropriate humidity levels within your gymnasium to avoid excessive expansion and potential crowning in your wood floor. After the concrete slab has been determined to be adequately dry installers should also use a wood moisture meter to test the mc of the finished floor product prior to installation. Hardwood floors the maximum subfloor moisture level will be either 12 or 13 depending upon the manufacturer.

Therefore it s advisable to have a floor tested for moisture content prior to installing flooring or moisture barriers. Some flooring system manufacturers have products that can handle 95 rh or mor. An acceptable level is 4 5 lbs. For all intents and purposes the ideal moisture of flooring wood will be the moisture content at which the wood reaches equilibrium with the installation environment.

This measurement is stated as pounds of moisture over a 1 000 sq.