Moisture is one of the most frequent causes of paint and coating failure, as well as construction defects. Applying a coating to a substrate that is too moist will frequently lead to failure of the film. For every application of a coating to a moisture absorbing material there is usually a minimum and maximum allowable moisture content. A moisture meter is the perfect QC tool to determine whether a substrate is ready to be coated.
– Verification of moisture content and readiness for coating
– Determination of correct drying / curing of raw materials for production
– Works with most hygroscopic building materials, such as wood, plaster, masonry, gypsum and concrete
Moisture meters are particularly useful in all phases of furniture manufacturing. Proper use of a meter can ensure that the wood will maintain dimensional stability so that costly defects such as splitting, warping and delamination will not occur. A higher level of acceptable moisture tells the operator that additional drying of the lumber is needed before it is ready for production.
BYK-Gardner offers pin type penetration meters and pin-less wood moisture meters, they are  accurate and reliable instruments. They allow for the measurement of moisture content at various levels within the substrate, as well as for the average and range of moisture content. These meters operate on the principal of electrical resistance; the pin type use the substrate as an element in a circuit by driving two pins or electrodes into the material being tested. This method works well due to the fact that water is an excellent conductor, and most dry substrates, particularly wood, are effective insulators.
All meters work by inserting or driving two pins (electrodes) into the substrate; the meters measure the electrical resistance and convert the readout to a numeric indicator of moisture. For wood it is normally indicated as % of dry weight; for other materials the readout is a relative numeric scale.

Moisture content in most substrates varies greatly. The surface usually has a lower moisture content due to surface evaporation. The moisture gradient of a substrate can be effectively measured with moisture meters by inserting insulated tip electrodes at various depths within the substrate and reading the moisture content.
All electrodes feature replaceable pins that should be changed with wear, or after breaking.

Selection Guide for Moisture Meters

Cat-No.	Model	Probe included	Analog/Digital	Scale			Substrate
					Wood	Gypsum	Concrete	Roofing	Misc
PM-9610	BD-2100	Integral	Digital	6% to 40% wood	X	X	X	X
PM-9607	BD-2100/PKG	Inegral and PM-9622	Digital	6% to 40% wood	X	X	X	X
PM-9605	BD-10	Integral	Analog	6% to 40%	X		X	X	X
PM-9606	BD-10/PKG	Inegral and PM-9622	Analog	6% to 40%	X		X	X	X
PM-9612	J-2000	Integral	Digital	6% to 40%	X
PM-9613	J-2000/PKG	Integral and PM-9619	Digital	6% to 40%	X
PM-9608	J-LITE	Integral	Analog LED	6% to 30%	X
PM-9615	J-LITE/PKG	Integral and PM-9619	Analog LED	6% to 30%	X
PM-9604	J-4	Integral	Analog	6% to 30%	X
PM-9609	J-4/PKG	Integral and PM-9619	Analog	6% to 30%	X
PM-9651	MoistureCheck	Integral and external	Digital	6% to 40% wood	X	X		X	X
PM-9650	Accuscan	Pinless	Analog	4% to 20% wood	X