Wood Wetting or Drying?

[Guitar_man]

Ive drawn some lines on the tide marks of on some joists on a ceiling a few weeks back.. I had a leak which i think i have sealed, and im expecting things to be drying out. However i looked at the lines and now it has passed the lines i drew.
Should the tide marks expand as the leak drys out? Or is this indicative there could still be a leak? The timber is a trimmer on a chimney breast so it in full contact with the wall (stone construction). There could well be some wet still in the wall, escaping. Im using a dehumidifer to try and dry things out. Things may well be normal but i was a little surprised to see the tide lines expanding!
Comments welcome, thanks.

 

[AronSearle]

Timber is hygroscopic (like a sponge).

if part of it is soaked, it could spread, normally though I'd suspect another source of wetting.

Its all guesswork really, the only way to be sure is to measure the moisture with a meter.

 

[Guitar_man]

Hmm, so if the tide mark has risen upwards against gravity, suspect water adding to the timber rather than movement with the timber?
I do have a moisture meter, I will try it. How long could it take to dry out? 6x2.
It could be that the drying wall is drying out and the timber is still sucking it up.