Destructive vs. Non-Destructive Moisture Meters
About Building Moisture Meters
Moisture meters measure the percentage of water within a material. If you have high levels of moisture present within an existing building or any materials used for construction, it will result in rot, mould, and progressively degrade affected materials and the overall structure.
Building moisture meters fall into two main groups being; Non-Destructive moisture meters and Pin (Destructive) Moisture Meters. Below, we analyse how each kind of moisture meter works and provide some ideas for suitable applications.
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IC Tip: Always consult the product manual to check meter compatibility with the materials you wish to measure or contact us if you need assistance finding the best for your needs |
Non-Destructive Moisture Meters
How Do They Work?
Pinless or non-destructive moisture meters operate on the principle of electrical impedance. Impedance means the moisture meter transmits low-frequency signals into the material you wish to test. The signal will meet differing levels of resistance, depending on the amount of moisture present in the medium. Your moisture meter will measure and display the result as a moisture level reading.
Figure 1 Example of how a non-destructive moisture tester measures moisture within a material
Common applications
The best applications of non-destructive moisture meters are where the markings left by a pin meter are not acceptable, as well as situations where it’s impossible to get readings from a pin meter. Materials often tested with non-destructive moisture meters include timber floors, tiles, cabinetry, and painted walls.
Non-Destructive Moisture Meter Example
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Moisture Encounter ME5
Product Code: IC-ME5
The ME5 is a versatile and accurate tool that can be utilised by many different industries. We recommend this device for testing moisture in flooring installations, for building inspections, surveying, and pest control. This unit uses fiveranges of sensitivity and a dual-Depth penetration signal to generate moisture readings and evaluations without causing damage to the tested material.
Non-Destructive Signal Depth: Deep depth up to 30mm and Shallow depth 10mm.
Measuring range:
- Moisture in wood from 5% to 30%
- Comparative for drywall, Roofing, Plaster, Tile, Masonry and other building materials:0 to 100.
Video: Unboxing and Overview of the Moisture Encounter ME5
Destructive - Pin Moisture Meters
How they work:
Pin moisture meters take measurements by inserting two pins into a surface. Each pin acts as an electrode and takes a reading by measuring the electrical resistance between the two pins. As water is a conductor, low moisture readings will have a high amount of resistance, and high moisture levels will have low resistance. Pin moisture meters measure the resistance and convert this to a moisture reading.
Common applications:
Measuring the underside of timber flooring, timber framing, joists, or drywalls.
Pin Moisture Meter Example:
Trotec T510 - Material Moisture Meter
Product Code: T510
The T510 is a professional handheld measuring device for the exact determination of wood and material moisture content according to the resistance measuring method. The meter features a continuous easy-to-clean glass surface made of highly scratch-resistant glass. The high-contrast screen will display measured values that are easy to read, even at an intense incidence of light.
Measuring Ranges:
- Wood Moisture: 0-100%
- Material Moisture Reference: 0-100
Combination Pin and Non-Destructive Moisture Meters
Want the best of both worlds? Meters are available that employ both of the measuring mechanisms listed above, which enables a wide range of moisture measurements using a single instrument.
Common examples of use:
By combining both mechanisms of measurement (i.e., pin and non-destructive), this type of moisture meter can measure timber floors, tiles, cabinetry, painted walls, timber framing, joists, or drywalls.
Combination Pin and Non-Destructive Meter Example:
MRH3 - Digital Non-Destructive Moisture Meter
Product Code: MRHIII
The Tramex MRHIII Moisture and Humidity Meter is a handheld digital moisture meter calibrated for most building materials. The meter has plugs for a wood probe for taking wood measurements (sold separately) and a plug-in Tramex Hygro-i relative humidity probe for relative humidity, temperature, dew point, and mixing ratio readings (sold separately).
Non-Destructive Signal Depth: Up to 25mm
Measuring ranges:
- Reference scale for building materials: 0 to 100%
- Relative humidity (with optional Hygro-i2 probe): 0 to 99%
- Wood Non-invasive Mode: 5 to 55% MC (at Specific Gravity of 0.3)
- Wood Invasive Mode (with optional wood pin probes): 7 to 40% MC
Conclusion
When searching for a building moisture meter, the first step is to choose either a pin-type destructive moisture meter, or a non-destructive meter, or a device that combines both.
Browse the full range of building moisture meters here.
If you need assistance finding a building moisture meter for your application, specifications, or budget, contact an Instrument Choice Scientist. We're here to help! Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].
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