WHAT Jason Wright at Wagner Meters outlines the five c
Don’t skimp on readings — make sure you take enough readings to get an accurate picture of the moisture content of your wood flooring.
You’ve got a pretty good idea of what to do when measuring moisture in wood flooring, but have you thought about what not to do? Have you thought about what mistakes are the most expensive? Or the most time-consuming? Or worst of all, the ones that ruin a reputation?
By simply knowing what to avoid, you could save yourself from ever having those issues in the first place. And wouldn’t you like to be the one known for doing the job right, the first time? Of course, you would.
Which is why you’ll want to understand these five mistakes to avoid so you can be successful on every flooring job.
USING THE WRONG WOOD
MOISTURE METER How disheartening would it be to know you are ready to do right by your customer and test for moisture, only to find out you have the wrong meter? Talk about disappointment, frustration, and wasted time.
First of all, realise there are different meters for different materials. There are meters in the marketplace that were designed to measure moisture in products that are not wood — and they’re not interchangeable. So, if you know you need to test wood, invest in a meter that measures wood properly. And make sure you invest in a reliable, accurate, and fast meter. There are some bad apples out there.
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Then, compare pin meters against pinless meters. Pin meters use two metal pins that must physically penetrate the wood’s surface in order to take a moisture reading. Non- damaging pinless meters take moisture readings through sensor pads that are placed on the wood’s surface but do not physically harm the board. Since pinless meters don’t cause damage to the wood, an accurate pinless meter can be much more practical for projects such as wood flooring. However, if you are measuring wood with uneven surfaces, a pin meter is a very good option.
And don’t forget about the cheaper meters. They might be enticing, but stay strong. A cheap meter doesn’t always mean, “Yay, I’ll save money!” More than likely, they mean, “Oh no, this reading might not be accurate. Now what?” Then you may end up needing to purchase a dependable meter, so you’d have to spend more. Better to make an initial investment in a meter that will give you peace of mind.
NOT TAKING ENOUGH READINGS If you fail to take enough readings, then you’re not getting an accurate picture of the moisture levels in the floor or wood panels. The bottom line is that taking just an occasional measurement won’t provide quality data.
You want to test the whole batch of flooring, as much of the floor as possible — especially the areas prone to having more
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