Got burned by a cheap moisture meter on a big glue-down job

I was doing a 2,000 square foot glue-down in a basement last spring and my old meter died. Grabbed a $40 one from a big box store to finish the job. The readings were way off, said the slab was dry when it wasn't. Ended up with adhesive failure in a 400 square foot area six months later. Cost me over $3,500 in materials and a full day to rip it out and redo. What's a reliable brand you guys actually trust for concrete moisture?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakotal163d ago

Tramex meters are the only thing I'll touch for concrete now. That cheap meter story is a nightmare I've heard too many times. I learned the hard way on a bathroom floor that cost me a weekend. The good meters are an investment, but they save you from those brutal callbacks. You can't trust the big box stuff for something that important.

jordan_webb493d ago

My uncle lost a whole kitchen tile job because his cheap meter missed a wet spot under the slab. It's like that with a lot of tools now, you buy the thing once and it just works. I see it with boots too, a good pair lasts years but the discount ones fall apart in a season. Why do you think so many companies try to sell us the broken version first?

aaron_wilson173d ago

Check out the Tramex depth of search. Do you know if their meters can pick up moisture deeper in the slab, or are they just for the surface? That's what I'd worry about with a basement job.