3 Concrete Moisture Monitoring Options to Fit Your Needs

Concrete can appear completely dry on the surface, but still hold moisture deeper within.

Cupped wood floors. Carpet buckling. Adhesives separating.

These scenarios—and many other moisture problems with various types of floor coverings—are a good reason to test the concrete subfloor before installing a floor covering over it.

The question is, How?

Concrete tends to dry from the surface first, while still holding moisture deep within.

Eventually, once the floor covering has been installed, that moisture makes its way to the top and can break down adhesives or affect the floor covering above.

Relative humidity testing, approved by ASTM F2170, will give you the best picture of the slab’s moisture condition below the surface.

With Wagner Meter’s Rapid RH® L6, useful readings couldn’t be easier. Our system gives you highly accurate results so you can make installation decisions with confidence. What’s more, we now offer you three options for moisture testing, depending on your specific needs as a floor professional:

  1. Hands-on monitoring
  2. Automatic on-site monitoring
  3. True Remote Monitoring

Which one do you choose?

Let’s find out from three different flooring professionals.

First, meet Mike, the Go-Getter Flooring Installer. As you’ll find out, he’s a big fan of hands-on monitoring.

Hands-On Monitoring with Mike, the Go-Getter Flooring Installer

Mike is a long-time floor installer with years of practical experience in the field. He’s probably put down thousands of floors in his career! You know the kind—he’s the one who’s detail-oriented and prefers to have hands-on control in the flooring installation process.

That’s why he chooses Wagner’s hands-on monitoring. He drills the holes for the Rapid RH L6 sensors, inserts the sensors, and, once they’ve equilibrated, puts the Total Reader® in for quick readings.

He likes seeing the readings himself and taking them one at a time. He stores them in careful notes on a clipboard.

Do you relate to Mike?

If so, hands-on monitoring might be for you. You’ll be able to get clear, accurate readings when you need them. Once the probes have equilibrated for 24 hours, you’ll get results within minutes!

This allows you to make quick decisions when putting a floor down.

If you need a little more freedom on the jobsite, you can incorporate the free smartphone app into the hands-on monitoring system to keep the information organized.

With the DataGrabber, you can view both current and historical Rapid RH sensor readings on your mobile device.

Automatic On-Site Monitoring with Sarah, the Efficient Project Manager

Sarah is a multitasker. She manages multiple flooring projects at the same time and relies on the Rapid RH L6, together with the DataGrabber, to monitor the jobsite when she’s not there. This is important for saving time so she can focus on other critical aspects of her projects.

Because of her role, Sarah often has to rely on jobsite updates from others. When there’s an unexpected and problematic shift in environmental conditions, subcontractors or general contractors are quick to defend themselves—“Of course, the windows weren’t left open,” or “I made sure the HVAC system was running the whole time.”

But whenever she steps on the jobsite, she gets the true story. As soon as she’s within Bluetooth range of each DataGrabber, the data arrives on her smartphone and updates her records.

With the data being logged even when she’s gone, she’s able to prevent many of these problems and make better decisions about the project.

And no bending down and checking each RH probe manually!

You can experience those benefits, too. Simply add the DataGrabber® with Bluetooth® to the Rapid RH sensors to collect interval readings when you aren’t there.

Whenever you return to the jobsite and get close to the DataGrabber, the stored data will transfer to the DataMaster L6 app on your phone. There, you can save job information, download and send reports, and see concrete drying trends. You’ll get an idea of how long it’ll take the slab to dry so you can be sure of a damage-free floor covering.

But what if you want to take moisture monitoring one step further?

Then, follow the lead of Carlos, the Tech-Savvy Flooring Expert.

True Remote Monitoring with Carlos, the Tech-Savvy Flooring Expert

Carlos is a flooring professional who handles a lot of projects and travels often, so he embraces technology for efficient project management. He recently discovered True Remote Monitoring™, a partnership between Wagner Meters’ Rapid RH L6 system and the Floorcloud™ system. The system transmits moisture readings over a cellular or wi-fi network and sends him live updates for the jobsite from anywhere in the world.

No manual checks and no obligation to even be on the jobsite!

It wasn’t always this way, though. Carlos still remembers the times when he used to have to fill up his truck with $150 of gas and spend 2+ hours traveling to a jobsite—often multiple times before installing a floor.

But no more. Carlos’s time is valuable, and he’d rather spend it doing other flooring jobs than traveling to and from sites that are in the drying process.

True Remote Monitoring allows him to do just that.

When he knows a concrete slab is going to require some drying time, he puts in his True Remote Monitoring system. This way, he can keep an eye on the rate of drying from afar and accurately estimate when the slab will be ready.

Once he receives a notification that the floor has reached the needed RH levels, he’ll begin mobilizing his crew and the flooring materials for the next phase of the project. Meanwhile, he can focus on other projects that are ready—instead of wasting time on the jobsite that isn’t.

True Remote Monitoring is ideal for any level of management, whether you’re an installer, general contractor, or supervisor. What could it mean for your projects?

  • You can manage multiple projects at once.
  • You’ll know exactly when the slab is sufficiently dry without going on-site.
  • You can cut project downtime.
  • You can schedule labor, materials, and equipment, knowing the jobsite is ready for them.
  • You’ll improve communication with everyone on the jobsite.
  • You can easily organize, store, and share data.

Imagine the uptake in productivity—with less stress. It’s been a win-win for Carlos, and he believes it can do the same for you!

Quality + Efficiency = The Best Solution

You’re committed to top-notch quality in your projects, which no doubt involves thorough concrete moisture testing.

But quality doesn’t have to mean more work for you!

With the three options for Rapid RH L6 testing, you can choose the method that best fits your workflow. So, which one will it be for you? Explore these three options in our store.

Last updated on March 4th, 2025

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