Acceptable Moisture Levels In Plaster Walls

In severe conditions you may see higher readings of skirting 22 plaster 1 3 and brick around 2 5.

Acceptable moisture levels in plaster walls.

The human hand is not able to detect moisture anywhere near the 15 threshold. It is crucial not to quote these percentages as a moisture content of a wall. And while these walls are built to be water repellant excessive water exposure over time can lead to moisture retention. A range of 5 to 12 percent is considered optimal.

Generally speaking for drywall a safe moisture content mc would be less than 1 mc. Example a timber skirting which records a moisture reading of 12 air dry the plaster could be around 0 5 and the brick about 1. There is no acceptable level of damp in plaster if you can see it or feel it with the back of your hand in your case as perry said give it more time to dry out keep the room on low heating and maintain ventilation. Compare the reading to ideal moisture levels.

Any reading over 17 percent is considered to be an indication of saturation and the need to replace the drywall and to take preventative measures against future moisture buildup. Readings over that indicate the likelihood of some free water but if there is really quite a lot of water say 35 or 60 showing on the meter for example then this needs investigating. Exterior walls are regularly exposed to moisture. The readings the meter provides of up to about 1 on the drywall scale 20 wood are of most value since a tremendous change in conductivity occurs at around 2.

Calm down 20 24 in plaster is not a problem. Readings are taken on a reference scale as it is only a relative degree of dampness. However older buildings may use other interior wall surfaces such as wooden paneling or plaster. Normal readings measure between 7 and 13 percent.

The actual threshold depends on the length of time the high level of moisture has persisted the source and even the type of paint or coating used on the gypsum boards.