How to Know When It's "Dry": Set a Dry Standard

In water damage restoration, drying is not complete until all affected materials reach specific goals, which are typically referred to as a “dry standard.” This standard is established by documenting moisture readings of nearby unaffected (dry) materials – which then serve as a benchmark for assessing the drying progress of affected (damaged) areas.

Using the dry standard ensures that drying is complete and prevents further damage that can occur if it is not – such as mold, mildew, and secondary structural damage. It also helps prevent over-drying, which can cause other issues like weakened building materials, cracked drywall, and brittle or warped wood flooring.

How to Set a Dry Standard

To establish a dry standard, use moisture meters to obtain readings from the same material in a nearby dry, unaffected area. Each different type of material will have a different dry standard, requiring separate readings for each. Wood, tile, drywall, and carpet will each have a distinct dry standard.

Key Dry Standard Tips

• Gather readings from each material in the affected area, then measure moisture in similar materials in several different unaffected areas. You can use adjacent spaces that were not impacted by water damage, upper or lower floors that were not affected, or other areas of the same room that are clearly free and far away from water intrusion.
• Collecting multiple readings even from the same type of materials helps determine the  range of normal moisture levels for building materials in the specific geographical region. This record then becomes a reference to evaluate suspect materials in a wet environment.
• Consider indoor temperature and humidity. Abnormally high humidity can alter the amount of moisture in materials that are not directly affected by water.
• Document not only the relative value from the unaffected material, but also note the meter brand and model, time of year, type of indoor environment and any appropriate material characteristic that may influence the reading obtained. Use the same meter throughout the project to ensure consistency of readings.
• If drying hardwoods, wood is considered dry when hardwood and subsurfaces are within 10 percent of the dry standard or normal moisture content (EMC).

Relative readings and relative dry standards are not the same as true moisture content readings. Actual moisture content readings are more precise; however, they are not necessary for documentation or decision-making on drying projects.

For more restoration-related guidance, search our Tips & Tricks for "dry" or other topics of interest.