TIL that moisture meter at my local rental yard in Tampa gave me false readings on a subfloor job.

I checked 10 spots on that OSB and it said 8% moisture content across the board, but after I started laying the LVP I saw the edges were curling up by the end of the first row has anyone else had a meter lie to them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_taylor211mo ago

Yeah, that "8% across the board" part is a dead giveaway something's off. A real moisture meter will give you some variation, not the exact same reading every time, especially on OSB which can be spongy in spots. Sounds like the meter wasn't calibrated for the glue in the OSB, or the pins just weren't making good contact.

charles_mitchell1mo ago

Man, that's a good point Paul. Ngl, I've been that guy with the cheap meter reading 8% across a whole sheet of plywood and feeling like a genius. Then I realized my meter was basically just guessing because the pins were hitting glue instead of wood. Turns out I was the spongy spot in the equation, not the OSB. It's a humbling moment when you realize your DIY confidence is powered by a $20 meter from the hardware store.

finley_gonzalez491mo ago

Funny you mention that, reminds me of a time I was helping a buddy wire up a shed. He had this cheap voltage tester that kept beeping even when the power was off. Spent a whole afternoon chasing a ghost short, only to find out his tester was picking up interference from a radio tower half a mile away. The electrician he finally called just laughed and said that tester was basically a "fancy Christmas light." Sometimes you don't realize how much you're trusting a tool until it betrays you big time. Makes you wonder how many other projects I've messed up with bad readings.