Wood Moisture Meters remove guesswork and risk when determining moisture content in wood and wood products. Wood moisture meters are commonly used by builders, pest controllers, restoration specialists, renovators and DIY enthusiasts.

So that you can find the best wood moisture meter for your application, our scientists have assembled a list of 2021’s best available moisture meters.

Curious? Need a top-performing or economical moisture monitoring solution? Read on

5 Things to Look for When Buying a Wood Moisture Meter

#1: Type:

Wood moisture meters are separated into two main types: pinless and pin.

Pinless or non-destructive moisture meters use the principle of electrical impedance. The best applications of non-destructive moisture meters are where the markings left by a pin meter are not acceptable or where it’s impossible to get readings from a pin meter. Materials tested include timber floors, tiles, cabinetry, and painted walls.

Pin moisture meters take measurements by inserting two pins into a surface. Pin wood moisture meters are used for measuring the underside of timber flooring, timber framing, joists, or drywalls.

#2: Accuracy: 

Accuracy is the closeness of a measurement to a specific value. Specifications will express the accuracy of a device as plus or minus a set amount. Generally, the higher the accuracy, the higher the cost. So be sure to select an accurate meter for the job at hand – without going over the top.

#3: Range of Measurement:

Describes the minimum and maximum wood moisture percentages a meter can read.

#4: Durability:

Meters used on building sites must withstand rough-and-tumble conditions like being battered in a toolbox, transported and even dropped. Check to see if the meter has an IP rating (Ingress Protection Code), how rugged the design is, and check for built-in shock resistance or the availability of rubberised cases and protective gear.

#5: Features:

Wood moisture meters come with an assortment of useful features and functions which help to separate them from the crowd. Additional features could include; data logging functionality, LCD vs Analogue Screens, PC connectivity, Bluetooth and more.

The Best Wood Moisture Meters

Best Overall 

Moisture Encounter Plus Meter
Product code: IC-MEP

Reliable, fuss-free and affordable - the IC-MEP is the best overall, non-destructive building and wood moisture inspection tool at Instrument Choice. The best overall status of the ever-popular IC-MEP is attributed to the marriage of affordability and functionality wrapped up into an easy-to-use and no-frills meter.

Features & Benefits 

• Straightforward three-button operation
• Ability to freeze readings
• Analogue dial with a wood moisture content scale, plus a comparative scale
• Three sensitivity ranges; wood/timber, drywall/roofing and plaster/brick
• Hold feature to freeze readings
• Soft carry case (included); and
• Large display screen.

Specifications

• Type: Pinless
• Accuracy: ±1%
• Range: Wood scale 5 to 30%
• Durability: Tough plastic casing, included soft carry case and wrist strap. 

Best Budget

Moisture Meter for Wood & Building Materials
Product code: 0560-6060

The 0560-6060 tops the best budget wood moisture meter category thanks to its competitive pricing under $200AU and its extensive list of useful functions. The 0560-6060 wood moisture meter measures and displays material moisture in percentage terms by weight using pre-calibrated material characteristic curves for wood (including; beech, spruce, larch, oak, pine, maple) and other building materials.

Features & Benefits

• Backlit LCD
• Hold function for easy readings
• Self-test function to ensure accuracy; and
• Additional characteristic curves to locate wet points in building materials for cement screed, concrete, plaster, anhydrite screed, cement mortar, lime mortar, brick. 

Specifications

• Type: Pin
• Accuracy: ±1%
• Range: 0 to 50%
• Durability: IP20, included protection cap, wrist strap and belt case.

Best Pin

Trotec T510 - Material Moisture Meter
Product code: T510

Sleek and rugged, the T510 is an attractive hand-held measuring device that tops the best pin category thanks to the precise determination of wood and material moisture content and the ability to display two measurement values simultaneously.

Features & Benefits

• Capacitive touch screen control panel
• Temperature compensation to enhance the accuracy of wood moisture measurements
• Premium easy-to-clean scratch-resistant glass surface
• Indication when two values are measured simultaneously
• Includes a comprehensive list of preloaded material calibration curves suitable for a wide variety of measuring applications; and
• Supplied with the MultiMeasure Studio measurement data management software (standard download version) to easily transfer collected data to a PC.
• High contrast display that is easy to read even under intense lighting.

Specifications

• Type: Pin
• Accuracy: ±8% error for 0 – 5%, ±0.2% error for 6 – 30%,  and ±0.1% error for 31 – 100% 
• Range: Wood moisture 0 to 100%
• Durability: German industrial design in robust, premium two-component construction with IP54 rating. Optional: silicone case for protection against dirt and scratches while reducing the drop risk.

Best Pinless

Moisture Encounter ME5
Product code: ME5

The Tramex Moisture Encounter is the best pinless wood moisture meter at Instrument Choice as it offers unique dual-depth functionality and five ranges of sensitivity for straightforward and non-destructive moisture measurements.

Features & Benefits

• Deep measurement penetration (up to 30mm) and shallow depth penetration( up to 10mm).
• Five ranges of sensitivity:
  1. Wood and Timber
  2. Shallow Depth
  3. Drywall and Roofing
  4. Plaster and Tile; and
  5. Masonry.
• Detect moisture through paint, wallpaper, drywall, ceramic tiles, floor coverings, wood, ceiling tiles, roofing membranes, and asphalt composition shingles
• Bluetooth connectivity: Easily transfer data from your ME5 to accompanying IOS and Android Watch a scientist demonstrate "How to Use the Bluetooth Function on Tramex CME5 and ME5 Moisture Meters."
• Hold function: Enables you to freeze the reading on the analogue dial
• High moisture audio warning tone which can be activated or disabled; and
• A large and clear, easy to read analogue display.

Specifications

• Type: Pinless
• Accuracy: ±1%
• Range: Wood moisture content 5 to 30%
• Durability: A rugged ergonomically designed enclosure with an included soft case and wrist strap.

Best Pin/Pinless Combination Meter

MRH3 - Digital Non-Destructive Moisture Meter
Product code: MRH3

The Tramex MRH III Moisture and Humidity Meter is a hand-held digital moisture meter calibrated for most building materials. The MRH3 can add on additional wood moisture probes and a unique relative humidity probe making this a complete all-in-one meter to determine moisture in almost any building material.

Features & Benefits

• Non-destructive signal depth of up to 25mm
• Wood probe measuring plugs(sold separately)
• ­Plug-in Tramex Hygro-i relative humidity probemeasures relative humidity, temperature, dew point, and mixing ratio readings (sold separately)
• Specific gravity adjustment for most wood species
• External Rubber electrodes make direct contact with the material being tested for best sensitivity and repeatability
• Backlit, large, clear, easy to read LCD
• Hold function enables the user to "freeze" the reading. Useful for taking readings when the meter face is not visible; and
• Automatic power cutoff switches the unit off when not in use with an automatic default to last user setting when switched back on.

Specifications

• Type: Pinless and Pin (with additional probes)
• Accuracy: ±1% non-destructive, ±0.2% optional wood pin probe
• Range: Wood moisture 5 to 30%
• Durability: A rugged ergonomically designed enclosure with an included soft case and wrist strap.

Conclusion

Whether you are a builder, pest controller, restoration specialist, renovator or DIY enthusiast, a wood moisture meter is an invaluable tool to identify excessive moisture for product safety and quality purposes.

If you liked the wood moisture meters listed above, view the full range of wood moisture meters at Instrument Choice browse the complete range here.

For more information or assistance in finding the right wood moisture meter for your application, speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].