This article has been edited and repurposed from “It's all about the damp”, written for the Construction Information Service. Other than preventing obvious leaks, the typical way to reduce moisture is to increase ventilation. This can be done either naturally by opening doors and windows or mechanically. Some of the more high-end moisture detectors are accurate to approximately 0.1%. These are only required for professional work. Moisture meters are often used to identify issues and any structural damage that may have resulted from a build-up of moisture. Home and building inspectors will use moisture meter readings from home inspections to identify such problems. Non-professionals may also use moisture meters for DIY purposes. How Do You Use A Moisture Meter? This guide features hands-on testing of the top-rated moisture meter options available. Some passed with flying colors, while others didn’t make the cut.

With the use of its pins, it offers a measuring range of 5-50% for wood surfaces and 1.5-33% for building materials. With the pinless sensor, the range for both types of surfaces increases to 0-99.9%. It is powered by a single battery that comes with the product. Pros The best moisture meters are versatile pieces of kit – the advantages of owning one and benefits of using it are clear, however, if you’re still left wondering if you actually NEE To get an accurate reading from soft materials like soil, you can push the pair of probes all the way in. Otherwise, you’ll only get a surface reading.This digital moisture meter from NoCry has pretty much everything you need for accurate measurements, including a brightly lit LCD screen with 2 brightness modes and the ability to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius display modes. Detecting moisture within your walls is crucial to maintaining the integrity and appearance of your drywall. Look for visible signs of moisture, such as discolored areas, musty odors, or crumbling drywall, which may indicate significant water damage. The methods being used to measure moisture differ not only according to material and application but also according to country. The international Rilem Group has set up a technical committee (designation: 248-MMB) dedicated to quantifying measuring techniques across materials and across countries. This five year study hopes to result in an exchange of information that provides good practice guidance regarding industry application of measurement, including exploring the possibility of new alternatives to traditional measuring techniques. To read more about the Rilem technical committee and its findings, please visit: Methods of measuring moisture in building materials and structures. This product is a low-cost pin-type meter with a wide and accurate measuring range. It is good for making fast moisture measurements of wood materials. It is small and particularly lightweight. A valuable insight for all construction professionals, painting a picture of sustainability in the construction industry

http://www.buildingpreservation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115:use-ofelectrical-moisture-meters&catid=7&Itemid=84 It has a measuring range of 4% to 80%. This device is powered by three 1.5-volt AAA batteries which come with this product. Pros This device is one of the best wood moisture meters on the market. It is low-cost and offers a measuring range of up to 0% to 99.9%. It has four modes designed to test on four different types of wood groups, which comprise about 50 wood species in total. A dependable moisture meter may boast an accuracy within 3 percent of the reading, with some professional-grade models getting within 0.5 percent.

Normal moisture meter reading on masonry

There are four different modes on this digital moisture meter, suitable for different wood species. This is a handy function for a knowledgeable woods-person as you’re more likely to be handling a variety of wood types. Its intelligent shut-off feature causes the device to turn off following five minutes without any activity. Other tech features include its 10 varying timber density grades and its calibration indication. This product comes with a large HD LCD screen. You cannot use any type of electronic moisture meter to get a quantitative measure of the amount of moisture in masonry or plaster. This is for another video, but there are articles which we’ve written on this subject, if you’d like to explore these? There is a great guide on our Technical Director’s preservationexpert blog, which will help you differentiate between the different ways of measuring moisture in masonry, using electronic damp meters, Chemical moisture meters (speedy type), and the gravimetric method too.