Moisture Meters

A Complete Guide To Moisture Meters
Moisture meters have been used by a wide range of home and building professionals for many years. While the technology of moisture meters has changed significantly over the past few years, the reason for using them has stayed the same.

Why Use a Moisture Meter?
Moisture is a highly important factor that affects the integrity of homes and buildings. Using a moisture meter helps inspectors locate the moisture source and determine the amount of moisture present. Moisture meters can measure moisture in surfaces including wood, drywall, plaster, block, brick, siding and roofing materials. An increased amount of moisture in these materials can lead to safety issues, such as decay and mold, and can compromise structural integrity.
Moisture meters can also be used to see if building materials are dry enough to be utilized in construction. During construction, even concrete slabs are measured for moisture content by testing relative humidity before the flooring is laid down.

Different Types of Moisture Meters
There are two different types of moisture meters you can choose from: the pin type and the pin-less type. Selecting the right moisture meter depends on the type of material you are testing and the parameters of your inspection.
The Pin Type (invasive) moisture meter uses electrical conductance principles to measure the moisture level of the material between two electrodes. Pin type meters give you a more accurate reading because it penetrates deep through the surface and into the material you are testing. This depends on the type of materials you are testing. The drawback of pin type moister meter is it can leave small holes in some materials such as wood, drywall and plaster.
Pin Type
(Invasive)

 

The Pin-Less Type (non-invasive) moisture meters use a radio frequency transceiver to generate relative readings within the material. Pin-less moisture meters work much like a stud finder. Though it is less invasive than its counterpart, some pin-less type moisture meters can give false positive readings due to the presence of and reflective properties of steel studs behind wall cavities. If surface moisture is present, you may receive false readings of moisture below the surface of the material.

 

 

Extech™ Pinless
Moisture Meter (MO280)

Protimeter Mini Moisture Meter
Pin-Less Type
(Non-invasive)
There are some moisture meters that offer both Pin and Pin-Less measurement modes. These units can switch between the different modes, adding flexibility and accuracy during an inspection. Choosing the right moisture meter requires some research since there are advantages and disadvantages of each type of moisture meter and a wide variety of prices. EMLab P&K Products has a full selection of moisture meters. You will also find useful information including users’ manuals, high resolution images, technical specifications, and videos.