How do you recommend to ensure wood is ready for install if I don't have wood moisture meter?

The box store didn't sell wood moisture meter where I live and employee told me not to worry about it as long as my RH in house is within manufacturer specs (i.e. 45-55%).

- this is just a hobby, don't mind purchasing wood moisture meter but preferably for moderate price
- my RH has been ~ 52% for last 4-6 weeks (very wet summer this year)
- wood has been acclimating for 1 1/2 weeks, I was planning on waiting another 2+ weeks just to be sure
- installing 3/4 solid maple above grade
- RH in winter is ~ 30%, I plan to purchase humidifier but there is no way I can get humidity to 45% in winter time where I live as this will cause crazy condensation on windows which will lead to other problems (central Canada - very dry and cold winters)

Should I wait until fall when furnace kicks in and RH levels drop to install? After all the reading I've done I'm excited to try installing now but can wait if it will mean better installation.

Thanks for your comments

I can't recall one time that the wood needed alot of time to adjust. I've had numerous times where the house (new work) was not adjusted to a lived in condition. If your doing a remodel in an occupied house don't fret too much over the wood unless you reside in an extreme climate area of the country. That said since you are installing maple it would be a good idea to check it. What width boards?

Lignomat has good inexpensive meters. http://www.amazon.com/s?rh=n%3A553270%2 ... mat&page=1

Weigh a piece, stick it in an oven and dry it out. re-weigh it.

Well Floorguy, there's a lot more to oven testing than that. Im not sure it is something for the lay person to attempt.
I suggest the poster take a piece or three of the floor to his neighbourhood flooring outlet and chat up someone in the sales dept. there.
Any flooring store would have meters for checking the MC of the floor. While checking a couple pieces may not be totally accurate for the whole floor, it should be sufficient for his needs.

Note to poster: you say you are in central Canada; if by that you mean Southern Ontario, you are most welcome to drop in and see me in Richmond Hill. I will check it out for you.

Thanks all for your feedback, answers to your questions below:

- width is 3 1/4"

- I understand the concept of the oven weigh method but would need more details on how to carry it out and interperate results

- Instead I will take a few boards to the store I purchased from to confirm MC, obviously this gives me no info on my subfloor but based on Jerry's feedback as long as I let boards acclimitize for extended period of time and MC is within normal range I get the sense that I will be fine

Thanks Dennis for the invite, I live in Winnipeg which would make Richmond Hills a bit of a drive to say the least!

Thanks again everyone for your help

Not really a whole lot more.


The oven-dry method is the best way to determine wood moisture content. Test, small samples equal in size, then weighed (a kitchen scale will work). The samples are then placed in a ~220 degree oven until they achieve a constant weight (all the water has evaporated, leaving only dry wood behind, about 12-24 hours). The samples are then re-weighed and the original moisture content is calculated as
Moisture Content =
(Original weight - divide by - oven dryweight)x 100%

Lol Floorguy, thats way too much work for this ole guy. Put my wagner 220 on the surface and read the numbers, thats what im all about.

Ya, I like my electronics, compared to pre-historic methods, that always seem to work.

I like my Tramex Professional, pin-type.