Wasted a full day and $300 on a 'moisture meter' that was basically a toy

Got a job last month for a glue-down LVT install in a basement. The concrete felt a bit cool, but the homeowner swore it was dry. I was in a hurry and grabbed this digital moisture meter I saw online for about $300, thinking it was a pro tool. Thing gave me a perfect reading, so I went ahead and glued it all down. Fast forward three weeks, the client calls me back because the planks are bubbling and the glue is failing. Had to rip it all up, and the real pro meter I borrowed from a friend showed the slab was way too damp. That cheap meter just read surface temp or something, not actual moisture. Lost a day of labor and ate the cost of the new material. Anyone know a truly reliable brand for concrete moisture checks that won't lie to you?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylermurray1d ago

Honestly, how wet could it have been? It's a basement, they're always a little damp. My uncle glued carpet squares directly to his concrete floor in the 90s and they're still there. Sometimes the glue is just bad, or the flooring had a defect. Those pro meters aren't perfect either, they can give weird readings. Might not have been the meter's fault at all.

oscarb711d ago

Man, my first moisture meter was a $50 thing from a hardware store... it was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. I get where @tylermurray is coming from, but when the glue fails you gotta blame the wet slab, not the glue.

keith2641d ago

Oof, that's brutal. Tbh, @tylermurray, comparing it to carpet squares from the 90s is like saying my flip phone worked fine so 5G is a scam. That meter clearly lied, and now you're out time and money. Always test twice with the good stuff.