Calibrate the moisture meter according to instructions before testing your wall.
Wall moisture meter readings.
Care must be taken interpreting the readings when using these types of meters contaminants within plasterwork can be electrically conductive.
When used on the timber the readings recorded are moisture content relative.
The readings obtained using these meters cannot be relied upon on their own to diagnose rising and penetrating damp.
In many cases a moisture meter s reference scale will range from 0 100 but that reading should not be confused with a percentage.
The bd 2100 s drywall moisture meter readings are accurate in gypsum to moisture content percentages as low as 0 2 and as high as 50.
If there are quite small amounts of moisture in a wall of dense plaster or brick then a meter will probably indicate over 20 or so and this will be in the red zone or beeps and squeeks may happen.
Other types of meters are available from ones that use electromagnetic waves to detect moisture under the wall.
Moisture meter readings i would say that 6 is fairly normal in an occupied home.
As readings exceed 20 wme remedial works are deemed necessary to this area.
When the moisture content is around 30 wood reaches its fiber saturation point or fsp.
One meter might have a reference mode setting that displays moisture values from 0 300 while the other one goes from 0 100.
Some meters use a 0 300 reference scale so readings taken on a reference scale often do not.
The moisture levels of drywall are very dependent on the rh relative humidity in the area.
Moisture meters are used to measure the percentage of water in a given piece of wood and are most useful when the percentage of moisture ranges from 5 to no more than 30.
The unit provides a moisture level range of 5 percent to 50 percent in wood and 1 5 percent to 33 percent in building materials and offers an audible indication of moisture level and storage of moisture level readings.
In the wood scale the meter can detect moisture accurately over a range of 6 mc to 40 mc.
While it might be tempting to think of readings on the 0 100 reference scale meter as percent values they are not.
I have seen drywall in a garage show 15 with a pin type meter on a hot summer day with high rh and the high reading was due to the high humidity and nothing more.
