I’m replacing the 100 year old yellow pine 1 1/4 inch by 3 1/2 inch tongue and groove flooring on the porch of my old Brown stone home. Because of the cost, I (at the recommendation of my handiman) have had some flooring milled out of spruce, and pressure treated. After only a couple of days, the small amount of material that had been put down started to shrink and the joints are now open in excess of 1/16 of an inch. I’m afraid that the shrinkage will continue. I have stopped the project for now, and have had my handiman unbundle and sticker the material in his garage. I have an old Delmhorst moisture meter, but not the instructions. The red button when pressed lights up buttons up to 20. Is this the %moisture content? And most importantly, what is the content I should try to get down to.
Help and advice from anyone please!! Thanks, Bruce in Ft. Morgan Colo.
Replies
Bruce
Yep, the 20 meant 20%. Normal is 8% to 12% for furniture. I'm not sure with the pressure treat and it being outside. I would suggest that you go over to Break-Room at Fine Home-Building and posting. They got people there that can probably give you the answer.
Good Luck...
sarge..jt
Bruce,
Take some readings on wood that is on your house, like joist, siding or posts. This is what your porch boards should be close to. A guess is about 10%.
KK
Kkearney, Great Idea! I'll do it tomorrow! Thanks, Bruce
Bruce,
What is the moisture range on your moisture meter....I think some of them top out at 20%....and if yours does then your wood maybe higher than 20%. A few months ago I thought I read on here that 20% moisture is construction grade...that is, up to 20% is considered okay for construction.
It will come to about 12% in most of the US and fluctuate with the weather.
Bruce
You have been given a content to shoot for. What no-one has mentioned is that recently pressure treated lumber is not going to get to 12% over-nite. I usually wait at least 6 months before I even consider putting on outer seal on pressure treat.
It will get there quicker if you store it inside. But you have already removed the old porch and I assume you have to put it down immediately. If that is the case, I would get it as tight as possible in the joints. You might even consider getting some long pipe and making long bar clamps to really snug it before you nail or screw. It is going to shrink evenually. How much depends on the moisture content when you drove the nails home.
Best of luck...
sarge..jt
Two cents more: I helped a buddy Build a very large deck from soggy pressure-treated several years ago (he hadn't bought the lumber in advance and allowed it's RH to drop to a reasonable level, and I'd flown from CA to MI to build with him).
In addition to Sarge's suggestion that you tightly butt the boards together during a wet assembly, I suggest you install a single screw in the center of each deck board where it crosses each joist: as the wood dries and shrinks, the single screw will allow the board to contract on both sides of the screw without splitting. When the wood is done shrinking, go ahead and add additional screws to keep the board from cupping.
Good luck,PaulWhether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
jazzdog
I just added a trick to the bag from your post. It should be intended for Bruce though. I will shoot a small post to him so he picks you info up when he checks messages.
I never though of that. I don't build decks everyday either. It is an excellent idea and makes sense. I use the same principles in building shop tabless, etc. often but never crossed the relation over to decks when I was thinking about it.
Regards...
sarge..jt
Edited 10/25/2003 4:55:40 PM ET by SARGE
Bruce
See post #9 form jazzdog which was intended for you!!
sarge..jt
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