Moisture-related problems on drywall can cause structural damage and potential health problems.
Drywall or plasterboard is one of the most commonly used materials for walls and ceilings within a building structure. Drywall is a porous material that absorbs moisture easily. Unfortunately, moisture has a negative effect on drywall as its strength and rigidity become compromised. Elevated moisture levels can encourage mold growth which may cause health issues. Thus, there should be as little moisture as possible in drywall.
It is important that any moisture-related issues are dealt with as early as possible. Moisture is not always visible on the surface and can be hidden and trapped behind the drywall layer, within the building structure.
By the time moisture or mold is visible, structural damage has already occurred. This can show up as blistering, stains or discolouration.
Thankfully there is a way of detecting this unseen moisture before it becomes noticable and starts deteriorating the building structure. A non-destructive or pinless wall moisture meter, such as the Tramex Moisture Encounter ME5, detects elevated moisture levels within a wall structure without damaging or breaking the surface.
The ME5 moisture meter is the new and improved version of the well-established and trusted Moisture Encounter Plus - MEP, which has been a favourite amongst moisture professionals for many years.
A pinless moisture detector for drywall evaluates the moisture conditions within the building material using a non-destructive method based on measuring electrical impedance.
To evaluate moisture levels, a low-frequency electronic signal is transmitted into the material through the electrodes located on the base of the moisture detector, such as the Moisture Encounter ME5. The strength of this signal varies in proportion to the moisture present in the material being tested.
The ME5 moisture meter, calibrated for drywall, measures the strength of the impedance current and converts it into a qualitative moisture content value, displayed on a clear analog dial.
The Moisture Encounter 5 offers similar scales to the Moisture Encounter Plus and features new benefits such as Dual Depth and Bluetooth connectivity to the Tramex Meters App.
As the Moisture Encounter 5, ME5, provides qualitative, comparative reading results, it is necessary to first take a moisture reading on a part of the wall that is known to be dry. This reading result can then be used as a reference for ‘acceptably dry’.
Buy Now
Moisture within and behind walls can be detected with a pinless moisture meter. A non-destructive moisture meter can accurately locate and measure elevated moisture levels without the need to break the wall’s surface material.
A dual depth moisture meter, such as the ME5, allows the user to compare moisture levels within and behind a wall covering. The shallow-depth readings, up to 10mm (⅜”), and deep-depth readings, up to 30mm (1¼"), can be used to compare surface moisture and core moisture and eliminate the influence of the substrate when testing coverings. Further in-situ investigation can then be done when necessary with insulated pins and RH probes for moisture measurement at depth.
In addition to evaluating moisture, pinless moisture testing is also suitable for tracing and mapping the extent of a moisture issue within a wall structure, without puncturing the exterior surface. The scale of a moisture problem can be visualized with the use of moisture maps.
Moisture mapping can:
Moisture mapping allows for the collection of data from the point of diagnosis, throughout the mitigation process up until the conclusion of the restoration process.
The Tramex Water damage restoration kits provide the necessary tools to detect elevated moisture levels in and behind walls & ceilings and to conduct further inspection if required.
Tramex Meters has long standing experience in developing accurate moisture detection equipment for moisture related problems within the building structure.
Click for more information on: