Evaluation of electric moisture meters on kiln-dried lumber

The secondary wood industry is becoming more concerned about the moisture content (MC) of the lumber they are using. Electric portable moisture meters are often used to check MCs. This study examined the accuracy of three commonly used meters by measuring the MC with the meters and comparing the readings to the ovendry MC. All meters performed quite well, with the readings seldom being more than 2 percent MC different from the ovendry MC.