i have taken a reading on the protimeter and tested the walls ceiling and floor of my shed and all of them came up around 13-15% so thats all ok even though the humidity dial gives me a high reading of 70% indicating that the air is damp but the structure is dry,but i put the prongs into the surface of the celotex on the floor and i got a reading of 86% even more bizzarre ...i put the prongs into the centre of board and the reading was 15%...so going by the meter the only thing that is damp in the room is the surface paper on the celotex!! can anyone explain this?
damp readings
- Thread starter spoonse
- Start date
Sponsored Links
B
breezer
yes, the meter is sh*t
try it on a piece of dry tinfoil and see what happens
try it on a piece of dry tinfoil and see what happens
Sponsored Links
No its not, its the interpretation and proper use of a meter that matters.
Its a tool. Used correctly its a useful tool. If the operator don't know how to use it, then its a bad tool
It measures conductance not moisture.
If you didn't know that then you won't know what the meter is telling you
B
breezer
yep, its a sh*t meter you should have got nearer to, if not 100%
as has been said they actually check the resistance of what the probes touch, but it goes to show how useless they are.
as for "interpritaion" of the reading thats just as bad.
think about this:
i have a dream, i ask 100 people what it means. I get 100 different answers because its their interpritaion of the dream
Not exactly.
For interpretation, its a case of understanding what the readings mean and the limitations of the device, so that if you know what you are doing, then you can put the meter on a material, and understand that just because it reports a certain moisture content, it does not mean there is 'dampness'. Further interpretation will allow the user to determine the most likely cause of any elevated moisture readings found.
For interpretation, its a case of understanding what the readings mean and the limitations of the device, so that if you know what you are doing, then you can put the meter on a material, and understand that just because it reports a certain moisture content, it does not mean there is 'dampness'. Further interpretation will allow the user to determine the most likely cause of any elevated moisture readings found.
The moral of that story is don't waste time asking 100 people. Just ask one person who knows.
The Protimeter is a useful tool but only in the hands of somebody who understands how to use it. To everybody else it's sh*t.
B
breezer
No. The point is, you can't just stick the metre in and expect anything meaningful.
What are you checking for? What locations are you checking? What materials? What other factors may influence the readings? Are you trying to determine rising, penetrating or condensation issues?
All the meter is telling you is that a particular point in a section of timber has a specific moisture content on or near the surface. The interpretation is what does this mean in context - i.e. is it a probelm or normal?
The meter is callibrated for timber, and so use on other materials will not give accurate comparisons. Use on other materials can only be used as relative guide to other readings on that same material
What are you checking for? What locations are you checking? What materials? What other factors may influence the readings? Are you trying to determine rising, penetrating or condensation issues?
All the meter is telling you is that a particular point in a section of timber has a specific moisture content on or near the surface. The interpretation is what does this mean in context - i.e. is it a probelm or normal?
The meter is callibrated for timber, and so use on other materials will not give accurate comparisons. Use on other materials can only be used as relative guide to other readings on that same material
B
breezer
bet you wish you had not have asked now 
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
