The general rule is that any moisture reading over 16% is considered
Ideal Moisture Levels: Maintaining perfect moisture levels in a home is crucial to prevent issues like damp and mould. Moisture levels between 12% and 15% are considered suitable for walls.
The real question is not whether your drywall is dry but whether the moisture level it contains is safe and appropriate. An acceptable level of moisture content is between 5% and 12%. Even a higher level may not spell disaster if not confined to a small area.
The walls and flooring in every bathroom that is being used on a regular basis will have some degree of moisture present. Normal bathroom walls and floors have a general moisture reading of around 3.5 to 5.5. Anything under 3.5 is great and anything above around 7.0 should be investigated and monitored.
A quality meter will be highly accurate and have a measurement range of 6 to 30%. It will also provide a way for the user to verify calibration. Cheap moisture meters might promise accuracy, but they'll lack the evidence for it. They won't have any studies to prove their accuracy.
An inspector can use a moisture meter to locate moisture that would not otherwise be apparent. Here are a few ways that inspectors may find moisture meters useful: A moisture meter can be used to determine whether a material is moist enough to allow mold to grow.
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.
The most common signs of structural damage due to high humidity include chipping paint or wood rot on window frames, wet walls resulting from condensation build-up, cracking floors, and plaster walls due to expansion and contraction caused by fluctuating temperatures between day and night as well as summer and winter ...
Relative humidity levels above 70 percent appear to be optimal for fungal or mold spore growth.
The best way to dry wet drywall is to dry it from the inside out. This can be done by using a fan or a dehumidifier. Use a moisture meter to check the moisture levels. Once you have started drying the drywall, checking the moisture levels with a moisture meter is important.
The general rule is that any moisture reading over 16% is considered damp and needs attention. If your reading is over 20%, you may need to replace the drywall entirely. The walls in your home with healthy humidity levels should have a moisture reading between 12 to 15%.
Increase air circulation by using fans and by moving furniture from wall corners to promote air and heat circulation. Be sure that your house has a source of fresh air and can expel excessive moisture from the home.
Moisture is well absorbed by black tea, baking soda and silica gel. These are commonly available products which can be poured into a moisture-permeable fabric pouch and then placed in the bathroom. To give it some fragrance, add in dry flowers, ground coffee or orange slices.
Those high humidity levels are particularly problematic when the moisture can't escape through windows, doors and other forms of ventilation. That's when condensation comes into play, with the moisture condensing from a gas into a liquid on the nearest cold surface – which in many cases is your bathroom walls.
You should be aware that a moisture reading of 0-15% is quite normal and gives no cause for concern. However, moisture readings in excess of 15% indicate the need for further inspection.
Use high-efficiency blowers and dehumidifiers and open the windows and doors. Use fans to increase air flow behind walls and leave them running for at least two days so the studs and flooring can completely dry. Note: avoid punching holes in walls. This practice doesn't help the wall dry faster.
The moisture mapping app records wall and concrete floor moisture reading details in all areas, making it easy for users to get the details they need quickly and easily from any mobile device.
If excess moisture is found, the humidity of the room should also be considered. An acceptable level of indoor humidity is generally 30 to 50%, which prevents the growth of microorganisms, such as mold. Excess moisture promotes mold, mildew, fungi, bacterial growth, and possibly viruses.
"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."
A pinless moisture meter, like the Orion 940 from Wagner Meters, is, without a doubt, the best option for home inspectors. With a pinless moisture meter, you don't need to worry about creating unsightly holes throughout the home.