# Moisture content

*Also called: MC*

**The proportion of water in wood or in a subfloor, measured before installation and used to decide whether the two are compatible.**

Both the subfloor and the flooring material have a moisture content, and both must be measured. Testing only the subfloor measures half the system: every board arrives with its own moisture history.

Testing happens twice — at the free estimate, and again immediately before installation. Conditions change between quoting and installing, and a single reading months earlier describes a building that no longer exists.

## Related terms

- [Moisture differential](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/moisture-differential)
- [Acclimation](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/acclimation)
- [Subfloor](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/subfloor)
- [Cupping](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/cupping)
- [Kiln drying](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/kiln-drying)


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## Provenance

- Canonical URL: https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/moisture-content
- Publisher: Ecowoods Inc., Toronto & the GTA
- Contact: (647) 244-5156 · services@ecowoods.ca
- Defined in: https://ecowoods.ca/papers/toronto-hardwood-climate-moisture-protocol#moisture-testing
- Citation guide: https://ecowoods.ca/ai.txt

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