"Even after you patch things up, moisture can linger and cause hidden issues down the line."
Yeah, totally agree with this. Learned the hard way myself—thought everything was dry, sealed it up, and ended up reopening the wall a month later. Moisture meters are actually pretty handy, IMO...saved me from guessing games more than once.
I've been wondering about moisture meters myself...are they pretty straightforward to use, or is there a learning curve? Had a similar issue when helping my uncle redo his bathroom—we thought everything was good, but a few weeks later noticed some weird discoloration. Turned out moisture was trapped behind the tiles. Makes me curious if there's a foolproof way to know when things are truly dry enough to seal up again...
Moisture meters are handy, but they're not exactly foolproof. I've used one several times—first time was when I was dealing with a basement leak. Thought it was straightforward enough until I realized the readings can vary quite a bit depending on the surface and how firmly you press it in. Tiles can be tricky too, since moisture could still be deeper behind the wallboard. Makes me wonder if anyone's found other reliable methods or tricks to double-check dryness before sealing things up?
"Moisture meters are handy, but they're not exactly foolproof."
Haha, tell me about it—I once trusted mine blindly after fixing a leaky shower. Thought everything was peachy until I noticed a suspicious patch of mold creeping back weeks later. Since then, I've started doing the good old-fashioned "plastic sheet test": tape a piece of clear plastic tightly to the wall overnight and see if condensation appears by morning. Not exactly cutting-edge tech, but it hasn't steered me wrong yet...and no batteries required.
Yeah, moisture meters can definitely mislead you sometimes—especially if you're dealing with tiles or waterproof membranes. I've found pairing the meter reading with a visual check behind fixtures or access panels gives a clearer picture. Better safe than moldy...
