5 commonly used wood moisture measuring instruments for flooring
The flooring contractor needs to continuously handle moisture in order to improve the quality of flooring installation as much as possible. If there is too much or too little moisture in the wood compared to the installation site, problems may occur. If there is active leakage in the pipes (or walls or ceilings) of a building, a problem can occur.
Therefore, in order to prevent backtracking and ensure the long service life of the hardwood flooring they install, flooring contractors need to use high-quality wood hygrometers in their work. But which type of wood moisture meter is better to use? How do we define "a good wood moisture meter"?
Needle moisture tester
5 commonly used wood moisture measuring instruments for flooring are shown in Figure 1. The RDM-3 is a type of wood moisture measuring instrument with built-in professional flooring installation special functions. Firstly, the instrument has a wide range of wood moisture detection (from 5% to 60%). This can help you understand whether the wood is too wet or dry - and how much.
Secondly, this needle moisture meter has undergone built-in species correction on 69 different types of wood. It can also calibrate readings based on temperature - to prevent you from working in particularly hot or cold structures.
However, this feature makes it a great hygrometer for wooden flooring professionals, with a reading and storage function. RDM-3 can store up to 1400 moisture content measurements in its memory, with date and time stamps. Optional software allows users to download these readings to their computers for Excel report production.
This helps floor contractors document their processes so that they can better demonstrate to customers the reasons for moisture related delays in their floor installation - such as the floor being too wet to install.
Integrated wood moisture tester
The 5 commonly used wood moisture measuring instruments for flooring are shown in Figure 2. The TotalCheck is a 3-in-1 moisture testing device that combines the functions of two pin and no pin hygrometers in a single device. The reference proportion mode of the needle less moisture meter can be used to quickly scan for abnormal water content in a large number of hardwood floors, while the needle type meter mode can obtain more accurate and detailed information. The needle moisture meter has built-in wood correction for 69 types of wood, helping to ensure accurate readings.
In fact, the needle type instrument of TotalCheck has all the same functions and advantages as the RDM-3 wood hygrometer, but it also adds a needle less instrument and a temperature and humidity meter.
The hygrometer helps turn this hygrometer into a truly integrated flooring contractor solution. It helps to measure the relative humidity (RH) and temperature conditions at the installation site, so the flooring contractor can accurately determine the equilibrium moisture content of the flooring wood before installation.
According to the ASTM F-2170 standard, it can also be used in conjunction with in-situ probes to test for excessive moisture in concrete subfloors - this is the most reliable method for checking the moisture content in concrete. For flooring contractors, this is necessary, especially in new building locations where they have newly poured concrete.
Proscan Pinless Moisture Meter
3Delmhorst's Proscan needle free moisture meter is a good tool for checking most wooden floors as quickly as possible. A large scanning board is used on the back of the instrument. When placed flat on wood, it emits an RF signal to scan for moisture marks on the wood.
This non-invasive testing method is very suitable for floor installers who want to carefully inspect wooden flooring, as it will not leave any pinholes in the tested wood. Many flooring contractors like to use it as a secondary wood hygrometer because it is fast, easy to use, and non-destructive to wooden flooring.
In addition, as long as you know the specific gravity of the measured wood, you can adjust the instrument to automatically correct the required readings to ensure good accuracy.
Needle moisture tester
BD-2100 is an easy-to-use needle moisture tester that can be used in various materials such as wooden flooring. Although overall simpler than RDM-3 and TotalCheck, BD-2100 has some additional flexibility compared to other wood moisture meters because it not only has wood moisture ratio - it also has built-in reference ratio mode and gypsum ratio mode.
The reference proportion mode of this needle moisture meter allows it to be used on various other materials in the structure - which is good for floor contractors involved in non-standard floor materials or requiring inspection of materials around the construction site.
For any flooring contractor who frequently uses Gyp Crete flooring, the gypsum ratio mode is necessary as it can accurately test the moisture content of the material.
Display instrument
Whether you are dealing with low light construction sites frequently or need a "foolproof" hygrometer that anyone can use, the J-Lite needle type wood moisture meter is a high-quality moisture testing equipment at a reasonable price.
Although it is not as flashy as most other wood moisture meters in this list, it can accurately detect moisture content in wood in the range of 6% to 30%. This allows users to easily know if their wood is too wet or too dry. In addition, due to the illumination of the LED, it is easy to see the indicated humidity reading even in the dark.
Many contractors like to provide J-Lite needle moisture meters to their least experienced workers, so that they can get used to using humidity meters and sturdy and reliable tools.
