Ultimate guide to moisture meters

Introduction

Moisture meters are indispensable tools for contractors, restoration professionals, hay producers, and anyone else who has to deal with the effects of moisture. Using these handy, rugged, and reliable detection devices, highly experienced experts can accurately assess the risks for moisture-related damage in a structure, in wood floors, and when cutting, baling and storing hay.

Sign of moisture

For many home and business owners, the first signs that they have a moisture problem may be "standing" water on the floor, discoloration of the ceiling, or a persistent musty odor. Some of these early warning signs of excess moisture can be difficult to spot early on, which is why it is important to inspect a building for moisture, particularly after a major storm or other events that can cause damage to the integrity of a structure.

Sandbags preventing water from entering a home — Flooding can lead to future moisture problems

Common sources of excess moisture include:

Improperly dried concrete subfloors
Interior plumbing failures
Leaks in the roof
Natural flooding

mold in ceiling — Left unchecked, moisture problems can lead to mold

Left unchecked, the relatively minor warning signs of excess moisture can become full-fledged disasters, such as:

Buckled/warped flooring
Mold
Compromised interior structures
Pest infestations

Moisture meter solutions

Moisture meters are the go-to tool for any professional whose work is affected by moisture, not just in the building trades, but in agriculture as well. There are two types of moisture meters used by professionals: pin-type moisture meters and pin-less moisture meters. How a given meter works depends on what kind of meter it is, and each type of meter has its uses, benefits, and limitations.

Pin-type moisture meters

How they work
These reliable devices use the principle of electrical resistance to detect moisture in a given material. It measures how much resistance there is to the current and displays a reading that can be used to determine how much moisture there is in the material.

Uses
The most common use for these meters is for wood/lumber products, such as wood flooring, ceilings, and support beams. Additionally, they can be used on other permeable building materials, such as drywall and insulation.

Pin-type moisture meters excel at:

Finding the precise location and depth of a pocket of moisture
Providing an exact measurement of the moisture in a material
Measuring moisture in loosely-packed or porous materials

Pinless moisture meters

How they work
Where pin-type moisture meters send two invasive probes into the material to get a precise moisture measurement, pinless moisture meters make their readings without having to penetrate the surface of the material being measured. When pressed onto a flat surface, the meter sends out an electromagnetic (think radio) wave into the material to be measured. It then interprets the fluctuations in the wave to establish the general moisture content of the material being measured.

Uses
Excellent for quickly identifying the general location of a pocket of moisture in a structure, and for performing a general check for moisture in a structure that is "at-risk" for moisture related problems. Provide moisture readings on nearly any flat surface, such as walls, floors, or ceilings. Additionally, they can even be used to take a quick reading of moisture that could be hiding underneath wood, tile, marble, or linoleum surfaces.

There are several advantages to the use of a pinless moisture meter, including:

The ability to scan large areas very quickly
No pin-holes
Easy to use

Thermo-hygrometers

How they work
Unlike the pin-type and pinless moisture meters mentioned above, thermo-hygrometers don't measure a specific piece of material, but the ambient moisture conditions of a room, or the relative humidity (RH) in a concrete slab.

Uses
Knowing the ambient moisture conditions of the structure gives contractors important information, and can also help them calculate how long a freshly poured concrete slab will take to cure, or how well the dry-out process for a water damage restoration job is going. Being able to measure the ambient moisture and temperature of a room is critical to identifying the risk of mold growth in a moisture-affected building.

With a moisture meters and a thermo-hygrometers, you can check the structure of a building for moisture damage quickly and reliably
Useful to help minimize the risks of defects in flooring after installation
Help prove damage claims for flood insurance
Help you determine the effectiveness and accuracy of your HVAC/R system

Hay bales - enhance quality control
Can be used to warn you of an impending structural failure, or even help prevent one
Can help you determine if you can save insulation, or if you need to throw it away
Can indirectly help find pest infestations
Can help make the workplace safer

Tip #1. Make sure to keep your equipment clean - Proper maintenance of your equipment is a must

Tip #2. Verify your calibration - Especially true if you want to follow ASTM F-2170 standards

Tip #3. Keep the material in mind - Not all building materials are created equally

Tip #4. Use multiple meters for different tasks - You can often get jobs done much more quickly by combining meters

Tip #5. Get a quality meter - When looking for a thermo-hygrometer, it is important to choose a type with as small of a margin of error as possible, which is generally ±2%