Brennenstuhl Moisture Detector MD (Moisture Meter/Moisture Meter for Wood or Building Materials, with LCD Display)

Product Information

Your meter may provide you with precise, quantitative results but without a chart to reference, you may not know what the numbers it's showing actually means. Wood and lumber should have moisture levels of 6% to 8% for internal materials while external wood and lumber should have levels of 9% to 14%.

Using clever calculations, this device can tell the measure the damp levels of different materials. On top of wood, you can also measure concrete, tile, screed, plaster, carpets, and other building materials. You can even use it to test the moisture levels in your potting soil. How I Tested the Brennenstuhl Damp Detector MD

If for example we have a wall with some damp stains. They could be patchy and ill-defined. In the video Bryan mentions ‘profiling’ the wall so that we get a better idea of the distribution of the moisture in it. This is great because in general the higher readings will be nearer the source of the moisture and the lesser readings well, further away. This is basic but very useful as an aid. Visual evidence is important, but the meter may sometimes show that the source of moisture doesn’t follow the stain pattern – very useful. Profiling is done to obtain the distribution and then compare that to what the surveyor sees; the type of construction; location; topography and other factors. A diagnosis can then be reached and will normally be accurate if, the surveyor has used his skill, judgement and equipment correctly. He should know how to use a moisture meter properly. It can be used to detect moisture levels in both wood and plasterboard, so whether you’re setting up a warming fire or testing building materials for damp, it’s suitable for a variety of uses. This moisture meter is easy to operate and comes with a user guide, which explains what the moisture readings mean. As a result, this model is very user-friendly. This, combined with its cheaper price tag, makes it one of the best moisture meters for domestic use.

It has a large LCD display that’s easy to read. Its measuring range for wood is 2% to 70%. It is powered by three AAA batteries which come with the device. ProsFor a drywall, an ideal moisture reading is between 5% and 12%. If it goes above 17% then the drywall may need to be replaced as this is a sign that it has experienced water damage. To do this, press and release the SPECIES/MATERIAL button until you see “REL” displayed on the main LCD screen and in the lower-left corner. Next, press the ON/HOLD button to activate the mode. Your moisture meter will now operate on a relative measurement scale (0-100), suitable for measuring non-solid wood or non-wood-based materials, including drywall. To return to Standard Measurement mode, press the SPECIES/MATERIAL button again.