I hear you on the moisture meters. I’ve had them tell me a deck was bone dry, then I’d pull up a corner and find moldy spots underneath. Cold mornings especially seem to throw the readings off. I still use my meter, but I trust my eyes and nose more—if it smells musty or you see those dark rings around nails, that’s usually trouble brewing. Sometimes I’ll even tap around with a screwdriver handle; soft spots are pretty telling. Technology’s handy, but nothing beats getting your hands dirty.
I’ve run into the same issue with meters, especially when temps drop overnight—readings can be all over the place. I usually check the deck from the attic side too if possible, just to see if there’s any staining or daylight coming through. Curious if you ever use a thermal camera for hidden moisture? I’ve tried it a few times but not sure it’s worth lugging around unless there’s a real mystery spot.
Curious if you ever use a thermal camera for hidden moisture? I’ve tried it a few times but not sure it’s worth lugging around unless there’s a real mystery spot.
Totally get what you mean—thermal cams are cool, but honestly, I only bother dragging one out if I’m stumped or the homeowner’s really worried. Most of the time, checking from the attic like you said catches the obvious stuff. Those meters can be so finicky when it’s cold... sometimes feels like more guesswork than science.
Those meters can be so finicky when it’s cold... sometimes feels like more guesswork than science.
That right there sums up my relationship with moisture meters in the winter. I’ve had jobs where the deck looked fine from above, but the readings were all over the map just because the temp dropped overnight. Drove me nuts—especially when you’re trying to convince a client that “no, it’s not secretly soaked under there, it’s just 28°F.”
I do see the appeal of thermal cameras, though. Had a weird one last fall—a patch near the chimney kept showing surface moisture, but from the attic it looked bone dry. Pulled out the thermal cam (which I almost left in the truck, honestly), and sure enough, there was a cold spot tracing down along a joist. Ended up being a tiny leak, slow enough it never dripped, just wicked into the wood. Wouldn’t have caught it without the camera, but I can count on one hand how often that’s actually happened.
Most times, like you said, just getting up in the attic or checking from below tells you what you need to know. I’m still a believer in poking around with a screwdriver—old school but it works. If the deck feels solid and passes the “stomp test,” I’m usually good with moving on to underlayment. But every now and then, when something feels off or there’s a history of leaks, I’ll bring out all the gadgets just for peace of mind.
Curious if anyone’s had luck using those new pinless meters? The ones that supposedly read deeper? I tried one at a trade show and it seemed promising, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I’m all for anything that saves me from crawling around in insulation longer than I have to...
I’ll admit, I’m still in the “poke it and hope it’s dry” camp most of the time. My deck’s not huge, so I can get away with crawling around and giving everything a good look (and stomp). But I’ve definitely had those moments where the meter says “danger, Will Robinson!” and my gut says “nah, that’s just frost.” Makes me wonder if these gadgets are just trying to mess with me or what.
I did actually borrow a pinless meter from a neighbor last winter when I was redoing part of the back porch. Seemed cool at first—no holes left behind and supposedly goes deeper—but honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was giving me real numbers or just reacting to how hard I pressed it down. Maybe user error? Or maybe my wood’s just weird. Anyone ever get consistent readings out of those things, or is it just another way to waste batteries?
Also, has anyone tried using one of those cheapo phone thermal cameras? The kind that clips onto your phone? I keep seeing ads for them but not sure if they’re actually useful or just a toy. If they can save me from crawling through itchy insulation again, I might be sold... but if they’re only good for finding the cat under the couch, not worth it.
And yeah—the screwdriver test never fails. If the wood splinters instead of going soft, that’s good enough for me most days. But now I’m wondering if I’m missing something by not going high-tech more often...