Hi Ken and others,
New member here. I will be installing 5.5 inch wide 3/4 T&G fir flooring in a master bedroom. Two questions; first, at the door the wood flooring meets tile. The tile is about 1/4 inch higher than the wood flooring. I know I can use a transition strip, but 12 feet away the tile meets fir floor again and the transition is level - a look which we prefer. What is the best way to raise the wood floor? Is there a preferred method to slowly slope the wood floor the 1/4 inch difference over say 3 or 4 feet or is it necessary to surface the whole bedroom floor with new 1/4 underlayment? If so, in what material?

Secondly, regarding moisture content. Been told to shoot for about -8%. I have a moisture meter and am registering double that on my fir flooring which was kiln dried when milled. Here in the pacific northwest, it is virtually impossible to get that kind of level. I checked a piece of wood that has been indoors for 30 years and it was over 8%. Do some woods hold more moisture than others? Given higher humidity levels here, is 12-14% level acceptable? As mentioned, we have the same flooring elsewhere in the house and there is certainly some seasonal variations but nothing as severe as big gaps opening up in the summer or anything like that.

Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for the useful forum.

Hi Jab:

Thanks for the comments. You want to taper back the higher area with different thicknesses of underlayment. For 1/4 inch I would start with something firm or #30 felt then work in some #15 to taper further. What you don't want to use is something that compresses easily. Otherwise you're bound to get squeaks eventually. Also, make sure you taper it evenly on all sides.

#2 Good questions. Wish we had a PNW expert here as that area is quite different than others with regards to moisture. Denser woods will take more time to dry which you don't have. If this was a connected floor to the old I would think twice about it, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Let it acclimate properly and see what changes take place and check several a dozen or so boards from different bundles.

Thanks Ken. Appreciate the advice. Yes it is very damp in these parts. We have "liquid air" - pouring rain as we speak. Cheers.