Moisture meters measure the percentage of water within a material and take comparative moisture readings.

If you are looking to determine moisture levels within an existing building or assess material suitability during construction, this article is for you! Our scientists have assembled five handy hints to help you find the most appropriate building moisture meter for your application.

About Building Moisture Meters

There are two main types of building moisture meter available. These are pin-type meters (also known as destructive) and non-destructive meters.

1. Pin-Type Moisture Meters

Pin moisture meters take measurements by inserting two pins into a surface. The process of generating a reading starts with measuring the electrical resistance of a material between the two pins. Water conducts electricity, so where moisture in any material is low, there will be a high amount of resistance. Where water content is high, resistance will reduce. Pin moisture meters convert resistance and express it as a percentage.

Some pin meters will have different settings for different materials - such as wood, concrete or plasterboard. Others are calibrated to a standard and will use correction charts to aid users when calculating moisture levels.

2. Non-Destructive Moisture Meters

Non-destructive moisture meters create relative and comparison readings when an electric field sensitive to moisture levels.

The best applications of non-destructive moisture meters are:

• Where markings left by a pin meter are not acceptable
• If it’s impossible to get readings from a pin meter (e.g., under hard surfaces like tiles)
• Dry concrete, timber floors, cabinetry, and painted walls.

5 Tips for Purchasing a Building Moisture Meter

1. Moisture Range

First, confirm the measuring range of the meter you wish to purchase. After eliminating all models that don’t meet your parameters, decide whether you want a device that measures moisture content percentage or takes comparative moisture content readings or utilises both methods, depending on the materials investigated.

2. Materials to be Measured

Wood, drywall, concrete, tiles - what items do you intend to measure with your building moisture sensor? Will you be sticking to a single sample type or measuring several? Not all moisture sensors are created equal so ensure the moisture meter you are considering is suitable for the materials you wish to measure.

3. Destructive vs Non-destructive Moisture Meter

Pin moisture meters leave marks in the materials measured and can’t reach all areas. Therefore, they are not suited to some applications.

4. Measuring Depth

Non-destructive moisture meters measure up to 30-40mm deep.  This attribute works well for materials 2cm to 4cm thick but not for thinner boards.

Pin meters typically penetrate a surface, such as wood ≤1cm.  For thicker wood, you can fresh cut the ends of the boards or timbers and then measure.

5. Price

The price of a building moisture meter will depend on the features offered and the device’s accuracy. For assistance finding the right balance between required features and price – contact us!

Building Moisture Meter Examples

Moisture Meter for Wood & Building Materials Product code: 0560-6060  The 0560-6060 offers accurate wood moisture measurement with stored characteristic curve settings for wood varieties such as beech, spruce, larch, oak, pine, maple. The meter has other characteristic curves for locating wet points in building materials for cement screed, concrete, plaster, anhydrite screed, cement mortar, lime mortar and brick. Specifications Moisture Range: % by weight material moisture 0.0 to 54.8% (depending on the material set) Materials to be Measured: Wood (beech, spruce, larch, birch, cherry, walnut, oak, pine, maple, ash-tree, douglas fir, meranti), cement screed, concrete, anhydrite screed, cement mortar, lime mortar, plaster and bricks Type of Moisture Meter: Pin type Measuring Depth: 4 to 5 mm.

Professional Pin-Type Moisture Meter Product code: PTM2 The  PTM2 is a professional handheld, digital, pin-type resistance moisture meter capable of precise moisture content measurements for: Wood Relative drywall readings; and Comparative WME (Wood Moisture Equivalent) readings in wood by-products and other building products.  Other key features include: Built-in standard calibrations Specific calibration for over 500 wood species; and Adjustable temperature correction. Specifications Moisture Range: Wood moisture content 6 to 46%. Reference scale for building materials 0 to 100. Drywall reference scale 0 to 8.5. Materials to be Measured: Wood (%MC) and drywall/other building products (comparative) Type of Moisture Meter: Pin type

Moisture Encounter Plus Meter Product code: IC-MEP Striking the ideal balance between functionality and affordability, the IC-MEP is the most popular non-destructive moisture sensor at Instrument Choice. Learn how to set up and take measurements on the IC-MEP here. The meter features: 5-30% wood moisture content scale and a 0-100 comparative scale for other building materials Analogue operating system – which is straightforward to use An extra-large display The ability to freeze measurements on the dial for easy interpretation of results. Specifications Moisture Range: Wood moisture content: 5-30%. Other materials: 0-100 comparative scale. Materials to be Measured: Three sensitivity ranges wood/timber (%MC), drywall/roofing and plaster/brick Type of Moisture Meter: Non-destructive Measuring Depth: Up to 30mm.

T660 Material Moisture Measuring Device Product code: IC-T660  The IC-T660 is a professional, handheld moisture meter for non-destructive moisture distribution determination in near-surface areas.  The meter offers: Minimum, maximum, hold, average and real-time values. The ability to connect to a PC via the USB interface and Data access via included MultiMeasure Studio data management software.  Specifications Moisture Range: 0 - 200 digits Materials to be Measured: Reference scale for building materials. Direct display of measured values possible in mass % or CM % for anhydrite screed and grouts, and concrete Type of Moisture Meter: Non-destructive Measuring Depth: 4cm.

Conclusion

Incorporating the five criteria listed above will help you find the correct building moisture meter for your application.

Have a question about the meters listed above? Need a hand finding the best moisture meter for your application? Speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].