Wood moisture content

Give Us A Call With Any Questions. How do you check moisture in wood? What is the ideal moisture content of firewood? How to measure moisture content of wood?

The normal moisture content of wood (or EMC) varies from - depending on the RH in the air. For woodworkers who build cabinets, fine furniture, musical instruments, dishes, toys, decorative art, boat restoration, or various other wood products, the acceptable wood moisture content normally ranges from to. Basically, wood moisture content is the weight of water in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of oven dry weight of wood. For example, fresh cut trees can have a wood moisture content over 2, while completely dried wood will have a wood moisture content of and wood in buildings usually has a wood moisture content of to. Moisture content , or MC, is the measurement of how much water is present in the wood compared to the dry matter of the wood.

Technically speaking, it is possible to have a moisture content measurement over 1—which would happen if you had more water than wood in the sample being tested. However, this is not common. Fresh cut trees can have a wood moisture content over 2, while completely dried wood will have a wood moisture content of. The moisture content of wood means the relationship between the mass of water in it and the mass of the timber without the water. This range of humidity will cause a change in the MC of the wood.

This change in MC will cause a 12-in. It can be dried naturally to below moisture content within 4-summer months. Larch appears to expel its moisture.

Achieving a ready to burn status very quickly. So, this means that larch can help create drier firewood with a lower environmental cost. Firewood suppliers usually use moisture content based on WET weight, i. By coincidence, wood with moisture will lose about of the heat up the chimney from driving off the water. Firewood is dry when its moisture content is lower than.

A piece of firewood weighing kilogram with a moisture content of contains 2grams of water. The higher the relative humidity, the higher the MC of the wood. Kiln dried lumber lumber should read as having moisture content from around - which is a standard moisture content for furniture grade, kiln dried lumber.

Typically, kiln dried hardwood purchased in Mississippi would have a higher moisture content than kiln-dried hardwood found in a lumber rack in Arizona. Seasoned firewood typically won’t drop lower than around moisture content because of the humidity of the atmosphere. In heated Swedish homes in mid Sweden, the moisture content in wood averages out across the year at 7. Air-dried wood will likely reach equilibrium moisture content with the atmosphere at around percent, unless you live in the desert. So if you reach percent, that’s about as good as it’s going to get.

Moisture meters for wood come in a variety of types, with many different features in each. These meters can be broken down into two broad categories by method of measurement: Pin-Type Meters. These devices use two or more electrodes to measure a wood sample’s moisture content using electrical resistance.

Since wood is a natural insulator, and water is a conductor, the more resistance there is to the electrical current, the drier the woo and vice versa. Pinless Moisture Meters. Determining moisture content is critical for success in woodworking.

Splitting wood : Wet wood is easier to split than dry wood. Furniture and accents for every room. Don't wait to refresh your space. Get Same Day Shipping And A 90-Day Guarantee.

Wood must be split.