Analyzing wood moisture is a process of comparing what you have to what you need. Here’s how to do it manually:

1. Measure the Current Moisture Content (MC): Use a moisture meter to get an accurate reading of your wood's current MC. Measure several spots on different boards for an average.
2. Determine the Target MC for Your Project: The ideal MC depends on the project. Interior furniture in a heated home should be between 6-8%, while outdoor projects can be higher, around 12-15%.
3. Determine the Equilibrium MC (EMC) of the Final Environment: Consider where the finished project will live. A piece in a dry, heated home will acclimate to a lower MC (around 6-8%) than one in a damp basement or a humid coastal region (12-14%).
4. Compare and Decide: If your wood's current MC is close to the target EMC for its final location, it's stable and ready to use. If it's much higher, it needs to dry further. If it's lower, it will swell as it acclimates.

• Moisture Content (MC): The weight of water contained in wood, expressed as a percentage of the wood's oven-dry weight.
• Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC): The point at which wood's moisture content is in balance with the surrounding air's humidity, and it is neither absorbing nor releasing moisture.
• Fiber Saturation Point (FSP): The MC level (around 28-30%) at which the wood's cell walls are fully saturated, but no free water exists in the cell cavities. Wood only begins to shrink when its MC drops below the FSP.
• Kiln-Dried: Lumber that has been dried in a controlled, heated chamber to a specific target moisture content, typically 6-12%.
• Air-Dried: Lumber that has been stacked and dried naturally outdoors. Its final MC depends on the local climate, usually settling between 12-20%.

"The most important number in woodworking isn't a measurement on a tape measure; it's the moisture content of your wood. Everything starts there. If you build a beautiful tabletop with wood at 12% moisture content and it ends up in a heated home where the EMC is 7%, that top is guaranteed to shrink, crack, or pull itself apart. You can have perfect joinery and a flawless finish, but if you ignore moisture content, the wood will always win. A quality moisture meter is not an optional tool; it's as essential as a saw or a chisel." - Woodworking Professor at a leading craft school

Building a Dining Table for a Heated Home: You buy some air-dried walnut that measures 12% MC. The table will live in a home with a target EMC of 7%.
The calculator will show that the wood is "Too Wet" for this project. It will predict significant shrinkage as the wood dries from 12% to 7%, and recommend a long acclimation period inside the home before building.

Constructing an Outdoor Cedar Planter Box: You have kiln-dried cedar at 8% MC. The planter will be outdoors in a moderate climate with an EMC of 12%.
The calculator will indicate the wood is "Too Dry." It will predict that the wood will expand as it absorbs moisture from the air. This knowledge is crucial for designing joints that allow for this expansion without breaking.

• Forgetting to Acclimate Lumber: Bringing wood from an unheated garage into a heated shop and milling it immediately is a recipe for warped boards.
• Only Measuring Surface MC: A thick board can be much wetter on the inside. Use a pin-type meter with longer pins or cut a sample piece to check the core MC.
• Ignoring the Final Environment: Building a project in a humid summer workshop for a client in a dry, winter-heated apartment will cause massive shrinkage.
• Assuming "Kiln-Dried" Means Ready to Use: Lumber from a big-box store may have been stored improperly and re-absorbed moisture. Always measure it yourself.

• Lumber Purchasing: Checking the MC of lumber at the yard to ensure you're buying properly dried stock.
• Furniture and Cabinet Making: Ensuring wood is at the correct MC (6-8%) for stable, long-lasting indoor projects.
• Flooring Installation: Acclimating flooring to the home's EMC for several days before installation to prevent future gaps or buckling.
• Outdoor Construction: Using wood with a higher MC (12-15%) that is appropriate for exterior decks, fences, and furniture.