Water Damage Resources

What does a moisture reading actually describe?

A number is easier to understand when you know what was measured, where it was measured and which scale was used.

• Relative humidity, or RH: describes moisture in the air relative to the amount possible at that temperature. It is different from a reading taken in a building material. Vaisala explains the distinction between humidity and moisture measurements.
• Moisture content: describes water in a material. The material and measurement method matter when interpreting it.
• WME or a relative scale: some instruments use a wood-moisture-equivalent or comparative reading. A displayed number is not automatically a percentage of water in the tested wall or floor. Protimeter’s instrument explanations show why the meter’s scale matters.

Ask the report’s author to explain the reading in relation to the material tested. Avoid comparing two bare numbers from different materials or instruments as though they mean the same thing.

Ask what “drying complete” covers

A moisture map shows where readings were recorded. A drying log records measurements over time. When a report uses a term such as “drying goal” or “drying complete”, ask which materials and locations it refers to and how the conclusion was reached.

The IICRC water-restoration standard overview describes professional restoration as work involving inspection, measurements, documentation and the building’s materials. It also distinguishes restoration from determining and correcting the source of water entry.

That is a useful distinction in a conversation: ask who is addressing the source, who is responsible for drying and who will explain any remaining repair work. The answers may involve different people. There is no single number on this page that can tell you whether your property is ready for the next stage.

Record observations without assuming a cause

“The skirting looks swollen” records something you noticed. “The pipe has been leaking for months” adds a cause and duration you may not know. Keeping these separate makes your account clearer.

Fictional visit note: “Wednesday, 10.20 am: the restorer took readings beside the laundry doorway. They said another visit is planned for Friday. I asked for the report to identify the tested locations and explain the readings. I noticed the lower edge of the skirting looked swollen; I do not know when that began.”

This is a brief example, not a technical inspection record. Attribute anything you were told to the person who said it, and mark a tentative return visit as tentative.