Solutions for control and remote monitoring of moisture content

Published 2022-12-11

Moisture in wood structures must be monitored throughout the entire construction process. With the right measurement solution, you can check the moisture content on-site, track changes over time, and, if necessary, remotely monitor multiple construction projects simultaneously. Here you’ll find solutions for measuring, documenting, and monitoring moisture content in wood.

The moisture content is the ratio of the weight of water in a damp piece of wood to the weight of that same piece of wood when it is completely dry. Since, in practice, it is virtually impossible to weigh different pieces of lumber in this way during house construction, we instead measure the electrical resistance between two pins that are pressed or driven into the wood (indirect measurement).

The moisture content of wooden joists and panels changes much more slowly than the humidity of the air, although it eventually tends to equalize and become the same as the ambient air. This slow process has the advantage that a moisture ratio measurement gives a much better picture of the wood moisture in different phases of the house construction, compared to just measuring the air humidity.

Checking the moisture content of wood in building construction.

When the timber is delivered to the construction site, the moisture content can be checked with a Bollmann moisture content meter equipped with an impact hammer. With this instrument it is possible to set both the wood type and the wood temperature in order to obtain reliable measurements. It is, of course, an advantage if the timber delivered has not been exposed to a humid environment for a long period of time, but instead is at a moderate level. Too low a level – i.e. if the wood is too dry – can cause the wood strips to settle and become warped. In spruce or pine, on the other hand, levels above 17% can lead to mold infestation and above 24% can even cause rot.

If the humidity has been high during the initial stages of construction, the moisture content of the wood will increase as it strives to reach the same level as the air. So when it is time to close and weatherproof the house structure, it may be a good idea to check the surface moisture content (a few centimeters into the joists). This gives an indication of whether it is safe to “close in” the wooden structure or whether dehumidification (natural or with a construction fan or dehumidifier) is needed. For such checks, a testo 606-1 is ideal. It is an accurate moisture ratio meter with characteristic curves for e.g.. beech, spruce, larch, oak, pine and maple. It is also small enough to fit in your pocket.

Do you need to remotely monitor the dehumidification of wooden structures?

Wouldn’t it be convenient to monitor the dehumidification status at your construction site remotely? Especially if you have multiple construction sites underway at the same time. With a Celsicom remote monitoring system equipped with one or more Celsicom MM611B wireless moisture sensors, you can check the moisture content in the wooden structures no matter where you are. All you need is your cell phone or tablet. Just log in to the Celsiview cloud service and view the measurements—in tables or graphs. This means you don’t even need to visit the construction sites to determine when it’s time for the next phase of the construction project—without the risk of trapping moisture in the structure and potentially causing major problems down the line.

Reliable Documentation of Measurement Data
Since the system automatically collects all measurement data in one central location—complete with timestamps, locations, and measurement values—you can easily create reports to serve as a basis for inspections and surveys.

Larm via mejl och sms (beroende på molntjänst)
Systemet kan dessutom larma om mätvärdena över- eller underskrider gränsvärden som du själv anger (kan också användas som avisering när t.ex. en avfuktning är klar). You can get immediate indications on your phone that something is not right, perhaps with the addition of wireless sensors that measure humidity, as it reacts much faster than the moisture content of the building material. Should there be a leakage of rain or ground water, you can fix the problem before the moisture content of the wooden structure is affected.

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