Types of Moisture Meters

You must have noticed moisture meters in the hands of people who are into wood work or carpentry. They need it for moisture detection and moisture analysis of wood, to make out if the wood they have selected will suit their purpose or not. However, the use of these meters is not limited to moisture detection and moisture analysis in wood only. Let us take a look at the different types of moisture meters that are used for various purposes.

For Wood
A wood moisture meter works on the principle that the wood resistance decreases, as the moisture content in the wood increases. The decrease in the resistance is converted into digital data and the meter displays the percentage of water in the wood. The meter consists of two electrodes, which are inserted into the wood, to find out the resistance between them and hence its moisture content. For ideal wood work, the amount of moisture in the wood should be at equilibrium with respect to its surroundings. If the moisture content in the wood changes, it may result in a change of the shape of the wood. You must have noticed that when a piece of wood is dried for a long time, it loses its shape. People who are into carpentry, want to avoid this and hence, a moisture meter serves their purpose of moisture detection and moisture analysis.

For Concrete
Concrete moisture meters were introduced to check out the moisture content in concrete slabs that are used in construction. Their principle of working and finding out the moisture content, is same as that of the wood meter. The resistance between their electrodes is checked out here too, to find out the moisture content in the concrete. However, they significantly differ in their moisture detection and moisture analysis methods, from the wood moisture meters. They can measure moisture at a depth of 1 inch from the moisture surface. This is required because people working in the field need to know the moisture content at the depths of the concrete slab, to analyze the construction.

For Soil
There are companies which manufacture moisture meters for measuring soil moisture levels too. This moisture analysis is required to find out if the plants in your garden would require watering or not. It may happen that because of rain, the moisture content in the soil is already sufficient and your plants do not need any more water, for a considerable amount of time. Under such cases, a soil moisture meter can be used for the moisture detection and moisture analysis in the soil, to find out regularly, if the plants require any additional watering. If it rains regularly and your plants are getting over watered, then the moisture analysis can help you in determining if you need to take some preventive measures, to cover up your plants from the rain. The meter works on the same principle as that of any other ordinary moisture meters.

When using a moisture meter, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions or the manual. Always buy a meter that can easily fit into your grip. Also, check that the electrodes on your meter are flexible and bendable. You can easily carry around a wood or concrete moisture meter along with you, while a soil moisture meter needs to be put in the soil of the planted area. If your plants need watering, then it will be indicated on the meter. It is one of the most handy devices and solves the most important purposes of moisture detection and moisture analysis, not only in the wood work and construction business, but also for our gardens.