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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/wood-resistance-meter-measures

A resistance (conductance) type wood moisture meter measures moisture by sensing what?

The wood's electrical conductance.

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  1. The sound of tapping the board
  2. Direct current conductance of the wood ✔
  3. The weight of the board

Why: Water in wood changes how well electricity flows through it. Conductance meters read that flow and convert it to moisture content. They are quick, but the handbook says electrical readings always carry some uncertainty.

Huh, didn't know that: Capacitance and power-loss meters are the other main types, based on the dielectric properties of wood.

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Why was the moisture meter so good at its job? It always had a read on the situation.
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References

Answer: Direct current conductance of the wood. Water in wood changes how well electricity flows through it. Conductance meters read that flow and convert it to moisture content. They are quick, but the handbook says electrical readings always carry some uncertainty.

  1. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, 2021) research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/62200
    Conductance-type (or resistance) meters measure moisture content in terms of the direct current conductance of the specimen.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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