Spent $80 on a moisture meter before redoing my bathroom floor

I was about to lay down some new vinyl plank in my bathroom and almost skipped checking the subfloor. My buddy kept saying to get a moisture meter, so I grabbed a basic one for around eighty bucks. Turns out there was a slow leak from the toilet seal that had soaked a section near the wall. The wood felt dry to the touch, but the meter showed it was way over the safe limit. If I had just laid the floor over it, I would have had mold and a ruined floor in a few months. Fixing the seal and replacing that bit of subfloor cost a little more, but it saved a huge headache later. Has anyone else had a tool like this catch a problem you totally missed?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_carr10d ago

Eighty bucks for a single check sounds steep at first, but think of it like this. That meter can be used on every future project you do, not just this one floor. Once you own it, you can check for moisture before painting, installing trim, or even before putting down new carpet. Plus, catching a hidden leak before it destroys your whole subfloor and causes mold? That alone saved way more than eighty dollars in repairs. I'd rather spend that once and have it handy for years instead of gambling on wood that feels dry but is secretly soaked. It's really cheap insurance when you spread the cost across all the jobs it'll help with.

the_ben2mo ago

Eighty bucks seems like a lot for a one time check.

linda6582mo ago

Wait, eighty dollars for a single check? That's crazy, @the_ben. What kind of check even costs that much? You could buy a whole meal for a family with that money. It better be printed on gold leaf or something.