How do I know when my house is actually dry after a leak or flood?
A house is confirmed dry by moisture readings that fall to a defined band and hold there, not by how it looks or feels to the touch.
Why can’t I just tell by looking or touching the wall?
Surface appearance is a poor guide because moisture moves through a wall or floor from the inside out. A wall can look and feel completely dry to the touch while a moisture meter still reads a damp or wet band underneath the surface, particularly in solid masonry, which holds moisture for a long time and releases it slowly. Relying on appearance risks reinstating flooring, plaster or decoration before the structure has actually finished drying, which can trap remaining moisture behind the new surface.
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What readings are actually used to confirm dryness?
Two types of reading are used depending on the material. A relative scale reading, taken with a pinless meter across plaster and masonry, gives a general search figure: below 200 is dry, 200 to 300 is at risk, 300 to 600 is damp, and 600 and above is wet. A percentage wood moisture equivalent reading, taken with pins on timber or via pins pushed slightly into plaster, gives a more specific figure: below 16% is dry, 16% to 19.9% is at risk, 20% to 27.9% is damp, and 28% and above is wet. The same points are checked on every visit so the trend is genuinely comparable.
Why does the reading need to hold, not just touch the dry band once?
A single reading in the dry band can be misleading, particularly straight after a dehumidifier has been running, because the surface can dry faster than the material underneath. What matters is the reading holding steady in the dry band across more than one visit, which shows the whole structure has actually reached equilibrium rather than the surface briefly reading low before moisture from deeper in the wall works its way back out.
Does every material dry to the same standard at the same speed?
No. Timber and plasterboard, especially once boards are up or plaster is off, generally dry faster, sometimes in 4 to 6 weeks. Solid masonry dries much more slowly, roughly 25mm a month, so a thick period wall can take considerably longer regardless of how much equipment is running. Salt-contaminated masonry adds another complication: salts drawn to the surface as the wall dries can inflate a reading indefinitely, so the trend against the baseline is judged rather than expecting a single fixed number on every material.
How do I get my property properly measured and monitored?
Guessing from appearance or a single reading risks reinstating work too early. Managed structural drying from Damp & Mould Solutions UK includes baseline readings and weekly monitoring visits. We take moisture readings on every visit so you can see the property drying.
Related: structural drying service and how long structural drying takes after water damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tell if my house is dry just by looking at the walls?
What moisture reading counts as dry?
Why does the reading need to be taken more than once?
Do all walls dry at the same speed?
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