We’ll try not to gush, but the Lignomat moisture meter is pretty much everything you need from a moisture meter, and it’s by far the easiest to use in the group. First, this thing doesn’t even have a power button; simply poke it into a piece of wood and it will give you a reading. Second, it provides readings for a wide range of species while only requiring the user to switch between “Group 2” or “Group 3”—no fancy calculations necessary. And, we couldn’t help but enjoy the Lignomat’s accuracy and the way the cap forms a comfortable hand-hold during testing. If we’re going to complain about something, it’s that this thing looks and feels like it’s straight out of the 1980s, but we’re not so sure nostalgia is a bad thing. What it comes down to is that you want to make sure that you are purchasing the meter that works best for you. It’s also worth considering that what you pay for is usually what you get when it comes to moisture meters.

ARCHITECTURELAB.netis a passion driven community of people specialized in art, architecture and design that feeds the world the most extraordinary projects brought forward by professionals around the globe. If you’re looking for a wood moisture meter within a limited budget, the Lignomat Mini-Ligno E/D makes for an ideal choice, the advanced Lignomat technology and unique LED display in this moisture meter make it suitable for use in different work settings.Position the moisture meter so that the pins are perpendicular to the substrate surface and push them straight into the material as far as possible. Besides the technology and steps of how a moisture meter works, there are several other things to consider that will make the reading process different from that of a pin meter. These are also some major pros of a pinless meter! Moisture meters are often used to identify issues and any structural damage that may have resulted from a build-up of moisture. Home and building inspectors will use moisture meter readings from home inspections to identify such problems. Non-professionals may also use moisture meters for DIY purposes. How Do You Use A Moisture Meter?

Unlike a pin meter, which measures the MC between the tips of the pins regardless of depth, some pinless meters can take MC readings down to specific depths. A good-quality pinless meter may feature dual-depth readings. This means that you can get precise, accurate readings down to two distinct depths. These readings are usually ¼ and ¾ inches below the surface of the wood, and for most projects, these depths are exactly what you need. Speed Repeat this process several times by measuring different areas of the same surface. Find the average reading from all of the measurements undertaken. This meter is the first pinless product in this section. This product has a range of unique features and comes with the various benefits that a pinless meter offers including speed. This product is good for going over delicate surfaces. It's small and ergonomic. This multifunctional moisture meter helps DIYers test for moisture using pinless, flat sensors without damaging the material. If the meter finds moisture, the user can remove the cap to expose two pins for accurate moisture measurement within 3 percent, humidity measurement within 5 percent, and temperature measurement within 2 degrees. A moisture meter is a device used to measure the levels of moisture present in a building. They are often used to measure moisture levels in walls. Moisture meters can either work as conductivity meters or as capacitance meters.If your wood has visible water droplets on it—as in, it’s been sitting outside in the rain—you would have to take care to dry the wood off before taking an MC measurement. Make a note of the area of concern and make a note of the current weather conditions. If it is a rainy day or a day with high humidity, try and test that area again on the next dry day. A bad moisture reading would be one that climbs to 20 percent or higher—in this environment, your porous materials like lumber may be susceptible to mold growth or decay. Q. Does moisture in walls mean mold? What we found was that the readings were reliable enough to determine the moisture content of the wood, with the device working within 0.1 increments. Now, if you like your gadgets and you like a Smartphone app, you could even consider the Unibot humidity sensor. This small little box runs on 2 x AA batteries which can last for 4-6 months.

A pin moisture meter uses pins instead of a pad (that a pinless meter uses). Other differences between these two types include that a pin meter can leave holes in the surface it is measuring, pin meters also require different setting adjustments than a pinless device and pin moisture meters also work slower than pinless meters.Surface moisture can also be a problem for pinless meters. For example, when the wood has a small amount of condensation on it, a pinless meter might detect a moisture measurement range from 10-20% higher.