How to Measure Moisture in a Screed

Before you can install a wooden floor or parquet floor on a new screed floor, also known as a cement screed, it is very important that the moisture content in this screed is 1.5% or lower. If the moisture content in the cement screed is too high, there is a chance that your parquet floor will absorb this moisture. The result is that your parquet may cup and/or expand excessively. The rule of thumb is that a screed dries approximately 1cm per week. This is naturally highly dependent on the environmental conditions. A construction dryer significantly accelerates the drying process, but of course, there are no guarantees. Therefore, Belat can provide a moisture meter, if needed, so you can measure that moisture content yourself. 

In the video below, Marc Croonen explains how to use the Trotec moisture indicator BM31 to measure the moisture content in your screed (cement screed). 

Key points to remember:

• Hold the meter in the air when calibrating.

• Always place the meter vertically on the surface to be measured when measuring.

• Measure at multiple locations in a room and in all different rooms.

• The most humid places are generally in the middle of the room and on the opposite side of the room from a large (sliding) window.

• Always stay more than 10 cm away from the edge.

• The meter measures 4 cm deep.

• The meter can measure a maximum of 7% moisture. If the meter shows 100, the screed is moister than 7%.

• The screed has a moisture content of 1.5% when the meter shows 50. 

• You may begin installing the parquet floor when the meter at each measurement point shows 50 or less.