The Moisture Measurement Blog

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Case Study: Customer Calls with Floor Covering Failure

We recently had a customer call us with a problem. He was called onto a site where the floor had cupped and boards were twisted. He wrote us that he inspected a wood floor, ¾ x 5 inches, stapled down, upstairs over plywood.  Consumer told him the species was Teak.  The ¼ and ¾ depth […]

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Moisture in Concrete, Free vs Bound Moisture

Water in concrete is presented in three stages: as free water held by capillarity, as absorbed water held by surface forces and as bound water held chemically. The ideal method of moisture measurement should quantify amounts of these three states, but this is a difficult task because moisture in concrete is not uniformly distributed, and […]

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Piece by piece the engineered floor is installed under controlled environmental conditions

Moisture is a Challenge when Installing Hardwood Floors

One of the key challenges when installing hardwood floors correctly is ensuring the right moisture conditions. Proper moisture management not only ensures a beautiful, long-lasting floor but also guarantees customer satisfaction and protects the installer’s and floor manufacturer’s reputation. And if moisture problems arise, you, as the installer, want to ensure that the problems cannot […]

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No shrinking and warping with stable wood

When is Wood Stable?

Wood has always been sensitive to changes in moisture content. When its moisture content does not change, wood is stable. Then, shrinking, warping and other unsightly moisture defects will not occur. If cared for properly, woodwork can stay beautiful for a very long time. Click for more info on shrinking and warping.  Relationship between Stable […]

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Moisture Meter for In-kiln Moisture Measurement

Whether you have no budget yet for a professional dry kiln, or you would like to monitor your kiln performance, a reliable and accurate moisture meter for in-kiln moisture measurement is the best investment for your kiln dry operation. Monitoring the moisture changes continuously will get you the most out of your lumber drying. It […]

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Tips for Measuring Moisture in Engineered Wood Floors

One of our local customers brought a wide-plank engineered floor. Some of the floor planks were cupped, while other pieces had hairline cracks. We used a dual depth meter to obtain moisture measurements. The cupped pieces were measured at the 1/4″ depth setting and the wood group setting of the hardwood wear layer. The moisture […]

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How to Make Sure Your Lignomat Moisture Meter is Working Correctly?

Moisture Meter Calibration for Accuracy Lignomat moisture meters have evolved over the years to be more accurate, reliable and easier to use thanks to micro-processor technology. Advanced pin and pinless moisture meters now have built-in automatic calibration checks. Moisture meter calibration of Lignomat moisture meters is done internally every time the moisture meter is turned […]

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Wood Species and Measuring Depth Matters for Pinless Moisture Meters

Pinless moisture meters only give accurate percentage moisture contents, when the readings are corrected for different wood species or for the material being measured. In addition, the measuring depth is important. Most meters are calibrated for a fixed measuring depth of ¾” deep. Dual-depth scan moisture meters are available with 2 independent sets of calibrations, […]

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How to Correct the Wrong Moisture Meter Setting?

Oops … you made a mistake with the wood species setting while taking a lot of measurements. It happens, even though it should not. It could happen and now you are at home filling out the report for your last installation. Looking at photos and notes, you notice all moisture measurements were taken on the […]

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Pin vs Pinless Moisture Meters

 Pinless Moisture Meters use electro-magnetic wave technology, which measures density in a three dimensional field underneath the instrument. If moisture varies within the segment, the average moisture content is indicated. Corrections are available for different wood species. Wood temperature does not affect moisture readings. Pin Moisture Meters measure the electrical resistance between two pins. If […]

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