Wood Flooring FAQ

Handheld Moisture Meters

• Does my Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter ever require readjustment or need to be calibrated?
• How are moisture meters affected by surface moisture?
• How does the difference in measuring techniques affect accuracy?
• How rugged are Wagner Handheld Moisture Meters?
• Is the Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter safe to use?
• The boards I'm measuring have been pressure treated (i.e. ACQ). What meter setting do I use?
• The flooring I am trying to measure is pre-finished; will this affect the readings I get?
• The flooring for which I am trying to obtain readings is already installed and is 5/8” thick. Will the subfloor have an effect on the readings?
• What are the effects of relative humidity on Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter readings?
• What is IntelliSense™ Technology and how does it work?
• What is proper moisture content for wood? What moisture content is considered too high or too low?
• What is the Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) for my area?
• What is the best Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter for me?
• What thickness of boards can I measure?
• Where can I find Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter manuals and species adjustment tables?
• Where is the reset button on my wood meter?
• How accurate is the Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter?
• Will Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meters work on rough lumber like they do on smooth, clean lumber?
• Does it matter which way you set a Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter on the wood?
• Will the sub-floor effect my readings? The previously installed flooring measures 5/8” thick.
• Can you check moisture content of particle board or wafer board with handheld moisture meters?
• How can I take accurate readings without sticking pins into the wood?
• Can I use my handheld moisture meter for materials other than wood?
• Do I need to worry about moisture gradients and wet pockets?

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Pinless Moisture Meters

• Are the readings that I take with my Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter affected by the temperature of the wood?
• How can I take accurate readings without sticking pins into my wood?
• How do pin-type moisture meters work?
• What’s the difference in readings between a Wagner and a pin meter?
• Where is the reading taken with a pin-type meter compared to a Wagner Meters Handheld Moisture Meter?
• Why doesn’t my new Wagner Handheld Moisture Meter read the same moisture content as my old pin meter?

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Plywood OSB, MDF, Veneer

• Can I use my Wagner moisture meter to measure subfloors such as Plywood, OSB or MDF?
• Can I use my meter to measure accurately through laminated materials?

Specific Gravity

• I don’t know the specific gravity (SG) of the flooring. How can I determine what it is?
• Where can I find a list of species settings?
• What is the correct specific gravity (SG) setting for OSB, Plywood or MDF?
• My digital moisture meter can only be set to measure wood species with specific gravities (SG's) up to 0.70 but the species I am trying to read has a published SG higher than that. What do I do?
• I need to measure the moisture content in a very exotic species of wood and its specific gravity (SG) is not included in the species adjustment tables. How can I find the correct SG?
• How do I get a specific gravity (SG) for engineered flooring?

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