OL – Out of Limits or Overange. Reading indicates that the moisture content is in excess of the meters output range.

What is a normal reading on a moisture meter?

In general, any reading between 6 and 10% is considered normal here. Now if you are testing exterior wood that has direct contact with the surrounding humidity, you can tolerate values that are up to 20%. Things start to get worrying when the meter indicates higher values than 20%.

What level of moisture is acceptable?

A reading of up to 17 percent is generally considered moderate moisture and acceptable. Any reading over 17 percent is considered to be an indication of saturation and the need to replace the drywall and to take preventative measures against future moisture buildup.

What is a bad moisture reading?

A range of 5 to 12 percent is considered optimal. A reading of up to 17 percent is generally considered moderate moisture and acceptable. Any reading over 17 percent is considered to be an indication of saturation and the need to replace the drywall and to take preventative measures against future moisture buildup.

What is an acceptable level of dampness in a wall?

Dampness readings in wood usually covers a scale from 0 – 40% maximum (average softwoods are saturated at 28% – 32%) and damp readings in masonry (brick, stone, plaster, concrete) usually range from 0 – 5% maximum.

What is the normal moisture level in a house?

Every home is different, but a level between 30 and 40 per cent humidity is typically ideal for keeping your home warm and comfortable in the winter, without leaving condensation on the windows. In the summer, that level can be higher, between 50 and 60 per cent.

What is the acceptable moisture content for concrete?

MFMA recommends the relative humidity level for a concrete slab for a non-glue-down maple floor system be 85% or lower and for glue down systems the concrete slab relative humidity level should be 75% or lower before installation.

What is an acceptable moisture readings in plaster walls?

Plaster: Moisture readings must be taken to assure that no more than 12% moisture content is in the plaster prior to the application of any coating. Stucco: An acceptable moisture content for stucco is 12% or less. Elevated moisture can lead to discoloration of the coating, as well as delamination and loss of adhesion.

What moisture level is acceptable in wood for burning?

Virtually every wood burning stove manufacturer recommends only burning wood logs with a moisture content of less than 20%. Somewhere between 10% and 20% is ideal.

What is an acceptable moisture reading in hardwood floor?

The acceptable range of moisture content in wood flooring is within 2% to 4% of your subfloor’s moisture level. Here’s what you should do based on your results: If your subfloor is under 12% moisture and the floorboards are within range of the subfloor moisture reading, you can install the floor without acclimating.

What moisture level is acceptable in plaster?

The surveyor on site needs to have some flexibility based on the site, the context and other factors. However, as a rough guide we say anything below 20% WME on plaster is low – above that but lower than 25 to 27%%WME is moderate and Over 27% or so can be thought of as high (ish)…

What is considered a high moisture reading in crawl space?

Most research agrees that ideal crawl space wood moisture content should be between 10% and 16%. Wood moisture levels will vary some, but they should not remain too low or too high. This moisture content is also where you may see decay-producing organisms leading to wood decay and loss of structure.

What is considered a high damp reading?

any moisture content above 16% reading is considered damp. Most meters are fairly accurate now,even the cheaper ones.

Is it normal to have moisture in walls?

FACT: Your house shouldn’t have wet walls. Sure, we’ve all seen condensation in our bathroom after a long, hot bath or shower — but those droplets should dry by the time you’re done using the hair dryer. There shouldn’t be any marks or mold left behind.

How is Wall dampness measured?

The only truly accurate way to measure moisture in a wall is to drill out a sample of the wall, and put it in a carbide chamber – moisture in the sample reacts with calcium carbide in the chamber and produces acetylene gas – pressurising it.