What Thermo-Hygrometers Can Do

Wood interacts and changes with the relative humidity (RH) changes in its surroundings, so it is wise to continuously measure the moisture content (MC) in wood flooring. Also, it is important to measure the RH during installation and afterward. This way, stakeholders keep an eye on the wood flooring as it reaches its equilibrium moisture content (EMC) or moisture balance with the environment.

Of course, the industry provides myriad quality control options for consumers and contractors alike. Wagner Meters features MC measurement tools to meet the quality control requirements for wood species from all over the world. Armed with the right tools, we can measure the MC in the wood subfloor, the wood flooring and the RH of its environment as a wood floor reaches its general target MC of between 6-8% depending upon your area of the country. Moisture meters suffice for the wood; thermo-hygrometers measure the RH in the air. Believe it or not, thermo-hygrometers measure both temperature and ambient RH readings for maximum quality control potential.

What Thermo-Hygrometers Can Do

Thermo-hygrometers are most effective in targeted wood flooring scenarios. They are best suited for measuring RH dynamics in rooms, most specifically those in which RH and temperature must be closely maintained. Thermo-hygrometers are sometimes mounted to provide continuous quality control feedback in the presence of heating devices such as computer servers, boilers or other industrial equipment. Aside from measuring the RH in the room’s wood flooring, thermo-hygrometers can monitor the working environment assuring personnel of safe and comfortable working conditions.

Spot checks are a powerful ally in the quality control measurement of wood flooring. Wagner Meters provides a wide array of wood moisture meters tailored to a specific application or general contracting projects. Every species of wood flooring contains MC characteristics, and they need to be monitored for quality control as the RH of the environment can change during and after installation. Post-installation spot checks provide invaluable quality control assurance to builders and investors.

Thermo-hygrometers can be deployed for short-term or long-term use. Wagner Meters carries a Pen Type Thermo-hygrometer for quality control monitoring of wood flooring installations. In addition to its primary functions of displaying the minimum and maximum Temperature and Relative Humidity readings, it also displays the Heat Index (HI), Dew Point (DP), Wet Bulb (WB) and the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) along with Hi alarm settings for the HI and WBGT. The pen-type thermo-hygrometer can be set on a table or counter in a room for quality control assessments.

Free Download – Is a Pin or Pinless Moisture Meter Best For You?

What Thermo-Hygrometers Can’t Do

Thermo-hygrometers cannot fix existing MC problems in wood flooring. If the wood did not reach its equilibrium moisture content (EMC) during drying or manufacturing; if installers pay little attention to the initial MC of the wood flooring previous to and during installation; if the RH of the room was not monitored before and during installation or if the RH changes after installation, MC problems and issues can arise.

Also, pen-style thermo-hygrometers should only be used for enclosed building applications. They cannot predict the RH inside the entire building structure but can monitor each room in the building. Since the RH in the building can fluctuate with the seasonal weather changes, thermo-hygrometers can rightly indicate the changes in the ambient RH and temperature of the room. They do not address the impact of how the RH and temperature changes in the room affect the wood flooring installation, but they are best used as internal measurement tools for continuous quality control monitoring purposes.

Thermo-hygrometers are an excellent wood flooring investment because they assist us with quality control decisions. Use them as tools, not as fixes for improperly or poorly installed wood flooring.

Ron Smith

As Sales Manager for Wagner Meters, Ron has more than 35 years of experience with instrumentation and measurement systems in different industries.  In previous positions, he has served as Regional Sales Manager, Product and Projects Manager, and Sales Manager for manufacturers involved in measurement instrumentation.

Last updated on July 20th, 2023