PUT TO THE TEST
Jason Spangler, Wagner Meters’ flooring division manager shares his tips on how to prevent moisture issues in wood flooring installations.
Failures for wood flooring installations are often caused by moisture issues. These issues relate to one or both of the following factors. Firstly, wood flooring naturally expands or contracts to adjust to moisture levels in the room and subfloor. Extreme changes in the moisture content (MC) of the wood flooring can cause cracks, finish failures, cupping, crowning, gaps, and adhesive failures. Secondly, wood flooring and adhesives have moisture tolerance thresholds. Conditions outside these thresholds can also cause flooring installation problems.
The right tools can help you prevent these problems in your projects. But first, you need to know what to measure, how to measure, and how to use that information to decide if you can move to the next project phase.
JOB SITE READINESS Ensure the job site is ready for flooring delivery and installation. Doors and windows should be installed and all
30 | FEATURE
‘wet’ work such as paint and plaster should be thoroughly dry. Heating, cooling, and humidity control systems, when needed, should be functional. Both temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the job site should be within the range specified by the flooring manufacturer, for several days before flooring delivery and installation.
SUBFLOOR PREPPED Measure the moisture in the subfloor. Check it against the flooring manufacturer’s specifications. This is important for both new construction and remodeling projects.
Concrete slab moisture testing: The most useful testing method for concrete moisture is in-situ RH testing. The ASTM F2170 standard specifies this testing method. Per the standard, sensors are installed within the slab at 40% of the total slab depth for a slab with one drying side and at 20% for two drying sides. The temperature and RH are read at each sensor site. Three tests are performed for the first 1000 feet
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62
