TRAMEX CME5 User manual

USER GUIDE
CONCRETE
MOISTURE ENCOUNTER
- CME5 -

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CONCRETE MOISTURE ENCOUNTER 5 USER GUIDE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................2
How it works......................................................................................3-4
Instrument Features.....................................................................5-7
Working With your Concrete Moisture Encounter 5.........8
• Drying time for concrete floors and screeds.............8
• Pre-test conditioning and preparation.........................9
OperatingInstructions...........................................................10-13
Limitations...........................................................................................14
Calibration............................................................................................14
Warranty.................................................................................................15
Warranty Claims................................................................................16
Product Development....................................................................16
Safety......................................................................................................17
ContactInformation........................................................................18

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CONCRETE MOISTURE ENCOUNTER 5 USER GUIDE
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INTRODUCTION
Hi there! Thank you for trusting our brand and choosing
the Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5, from Tramex. It
is our goal to ensure that you are always happy with what
you bought from us, so please let us know if you have any
questions and rest assured, we are always here to help.
The Concrete Encounter utilises “state of the art” electronic
technology to provide the flooring industry with an accurate
and simple to use non-invasive handheld instrument for
non-destructive testing (NDT) of Moisture Content (MC) in
concrete and comparitive moisture readings in gypsum and
other floor screeds. It has been designed for the Flooring,
Water Damage Restoration, Inspection/Surveying and
Indoor Air Quality industries. To get the maximum benefit
from the Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5, it is
suggested that you read this manual to familiarize yourself
with the instrument and its capabilities, before undertaking
any flooring tests.
Why should a test be done?
Concrete floor slabs and screeds that are insufficiently
dry before flooring is posed, and high moisture content in
existing floor substrates can cause a host of costly flooring
system failures.Testing allows for confidence in a job well
done that meets manufacturer’s recommendations, official
standards and customer satisfaction.
When should a test be done ?
Concrete floor slabs and screeds should be tested regularly
during the drying period, to help evaluate and control the
drying process, and ensure that the substrate has reached
sufficient dryness before the floor covering is installed. For
the purpose of restoration, testing can be done on existing
concrete floors and screeds to evaluate the extent and
source of water damage, as well as controlling the drying
process.

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HOW IT WORKS
The Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 detects and
evaluates the moisture conditions within the cementi-
tious slab or screed by non-destructively measuring the
electrical impedance, which varies in proportion to the
moisture content in the material under test. The
electrical impedance is measured by creating a low
frequency alternating electric field between the
electrodes on the base of the meter as illustrated in the
diagram below.

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CONCRETE MOISTURE ENCOUNTER 5 USER GUIDE
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This field penetrates the material under test. A very
small alternating current flows through the field.The
Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 detects this
current, determines its amplitude and converts it to a
moisture content value. By simply pressing the Concrete
Moisture Encounter CME5 down on the surface in
strategically chosen locations, instant readings can be
taken over a large area in the shortest possible time.
Material sample
Alternating Electric Field
Instrument pressed on to material surface to measure/detect moisture

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INSTRUMENT FEATURES
The instrument face with brief notes on the push button
controls and LED indicators is shown below.
85mm
1 = Moving coil meter.
2 = Bluetooth ON LED
3 = Hold flashing LED.
4 = Bluetooth button
5 = Hold button.
6 = Power ON LED.
7 = Power ON/OFF button.
1
5
3
6
2
160mm
47

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INSTRUMENT FEATURES
Your Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 employs
advanced analog and digital technology to enable the
incorporation of the many features listed below.
• Three simple push controls - On/Off; Hold;
Bluetooth; with corresponding LED indicators.
• Concrete moisture readings, 0% to 6%, are dis-
played on a clear easy to read moving coil meter
with linear scale.
• Comparative or qualitative readings for gypsum
and other floor screeds are shown on a 0 to 10
scale.
• A reference scale of 0 to 100 .
• To conserve battery life, the instrument automati-
cally powers OFF after 5 minutes of inactivity.
• Power remains on if a change in meter reading is
detected or any button is pressed.
• The 3 LED indicators:
ƕ The ON LED illuminates when the ON/OFF button
is pressed and remains on until the Concrete Mois-
ture Encounter CME5 automatically powers off.
ƕ The Hold LED flashes when HOLD is selected.
ƕ If the batteries are nearing end of life, all LEDs
flash sequentially for 3 seconds at each power ON
to indicate that the batteries should be replaced.

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• HOLD button freezes needle on moving coil meter,
to facilitate ease of recording readings.
• If HOLD was selected prior to the Concrete Mois-
ture Encounter CME5 automatically powering off,
the frozen meter reading is digitally memorized
and restored next time ON/OFF is selected.
• If Bluetooth was selected prior to the Concrete
Moisture Encounter CME5 automatically power-
ing off it will be restored next time ON/OFF is
selected.

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WORKING WITH THE Concrete Moisture Encounter
CME5
Drying time for concrete floors and screeds
Concrete floors and screeds must be allowed to dry
to an adequate level before the installation of floor
coverings or application of coatings. Manufacturers of
such systems generally require moisture testing to be
performed before installation or use on a floor slab.
Excessive moisture in a floor slab after the installation
of a floor covering or coating can cause failures such as
condensation, blistering, delaminating, movement and
general deterioration of the finished flooring/coating.
There is also a risk of promoting microbial growth.
No exact period can be specified for the drying of such
floors as this is affected by temperature and humidity
within the building as well as concrete curing times and
other factors.Typically a period of at least 3 to 4 weeks
per 25mm (1inch) depth of concrete or sand/cement
screed needs to be allowed. Longer periods may be
required in areas of high humidity or low temperature.
During the drying period and prior to applying the
floor covering, the floor should be regularly checked to
monitor moisture content with the Concrete Moisture
Encounter CME5.

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Pre-test conditioning and preparation
For best and most accurate results, to allow for an
accurate reflection of the amount of moisture present
and moisture movement in the slab during normal
operating conditions:
• Artificial heating or drying equipment should be
turned off at least 96 hours before final readings
are taken.
• Internal conditions of the building should have been
at normal service temperature and humidity for at
least 48 hours.
Prior to testing, the surface should be prepared:
• The test area should be clean and free of any foreign
substances.
• All covering materials, adhesive residue, curing
compound, sealers, paints, etc., should be removed
to expose a test area of clean bare concrete, strictly
observing all the appropriate safety and health
practices.
• Removal of covering materials and cleaning if
required should take place a minimum of 48 hours
prior to testing.
• Use of water based cleaning methods that could
lead to elevated surface and/or sub-surface
moisture levels in the floor slab are not
recommended.

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Operating Instructions
1. Power on by pressing ON/OFF button. The power
LED will light up and remain on.
NOTE
If the battery voltage is getting low, the LEDs will
flash sequentially for a short period.The instru-
ment will continue to operate for some time but it
is recommended that the batteries be replaced as
soon as convenient.
2. The Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 features
Bluetooth wireless connectivity. If you would like
to use an APP to record readings and information,
please ensure that the Bluetooth is turned on and
the LED indicator illuminated. Your Concrete Mois-
ture Encounter CME5 identifier will be the serial
number that is found on the back of the meter.
3. Press the Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5
directly onto the surface of the material being
tested, having removed any dust or foreign matter
from both the Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5
electrodes and the floor slab. Ensure that all of the
electrode spring-loaded pins are fully compressed.

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4. Reading the Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5
analog dial:
• CONCRETE Scale : For concrete, read the moisture
content from the top, 0% to 6%, scale of the meter
dial. Readings on a concrete floor slab obtained on
this scale indicate moisture content measurement
and should not be confused with lbs emission or
any other unit of measurement obtained by other
moisture testing methods or meters. It should also
be noted that there is no consistent linear correla-
tion between moisture content measurements
and lbs emission or RH measurements as obtained
using calcium chloride or relative humidity testing
methods.
• GYPSUM Scale: For gypsum and other floor
screeds, comparative or qualitative readings should
be taken from the middle, 0 to 10, scale of the
meter dial.
• 0 - 100 Reference Scale: Alternatively, the lower,
0 to 100, reference scale can be used for compara-
tive readings.This scale is not to be interpreted as
a measurement of percentage moisture content,
or relative humidity. It is not a relative humidity
reading and it does not have any linear correlation
with Relative Humidity measurements.This scale
should be regarded as a comparative or qualitative
scale only.

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This scale is included to facilitate comparative
testing of different areas where direct contact
with the bare concrete surfaces may not be possi-
ble due to some form of thin coating or covering on
the concrete, or additive in the concrete that could
influence the readings. Readings from the refer-
ence or relative scale are comparative only and of
help in identifying areas with moisture problems.
5. The HOLD function is especially useful when
taking readings in areas where it is difficult to see
the analog dial while it is being pressed onto the
surface.
• Press the HOLD button once for easy and accurate
readings. The needle freezes on the analog dial.
The HOLD LED light flashes slowly indicating
HOLD is on.
• If the Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 is
powered off while on HOLD, the frozen reading is
digitally memorized and restored when powered
on again.
• Press the Hold button again to remove the frozen
reading in order to take further readings.
6. Recommendations.
• Take a number of tests (3-4) in close proximity to
each other, as the distribution of moisture tends to
become erratic as concrete dries out. Use only the
highest reading.

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7. Power down by pressing ON/OFF. The power
LED light will go off.
• Avoid testing in locations subject to direct sunlight
or sources of heat.
• Include tests in potentially damp areas such as the
center of the slab and within 3 feet (1 meter) of the
walls.
• Always refer to the adhesive and/or floor covering
manufacturer’s recommendations for the accept-
able moisture content levels of concrete or floor
screeds.
NOTE
The Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 is
calibrated to give percentage moisture content read-
ings on a clean, bare dust free concrete floor slab,
therefore readings taken on concrete slabs through
paint, coating, adhesives or other materials on the
surface of the slab should be regarded as qualitative
or comparative and not quantitative.
NOTE
To conserve battery life, the Concrete Moisture
Encounter CME5 automatically powers OFF after 5
minutes of inactivity.

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LIMITATIONS
The Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 will not detect
or measure moisture through any electrically conductive
materials including metal sheeting or cladding, many
types of black EPDM rubber or wet surfaces.The Con-
crete Moisture Encounter CME5 is not suited for taking
comparative readings in the concrete substrate through
thick floor coverings such as wood. The Tramex Moisture
Encounter is more suitable for this purpose. Moisture
readings taken with the Concrete Moisture Encounter
CME5 indicate the conditions at the time of testing.
CALIBRATION
For regular on-site assessment of your Concrete Mois-
ture Encounter CME5 in moisture measurement mode,
a calibration-check plate is available from the suppliers
of your Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5. Should it
be found that readings are outside the set tolerances, it
is recommended that the Concrete Moisture Encounter
CME5 be returned for re-calibration. Click here for a
Calibration Request. Calibration adjustments should
not be carried out by anyone other thanTramex or their
authorized service provider who will issue a calibration
certificate on completion. Requirements for quality man-
agement and validation procedures, such as ISO 9001,
have increased the need for regulation and verification of
measuring and test instruments.

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It is therefore recommended that calibration of the
Concrete Moisture Encounter CME5 should be checked
and certified in accordance with the standards and/
or protocols laid down by your industry (usually on an
annual basis) by an authorized test provider. The name
of your nearest test provider and estimate of cost is
available on request.
WARRANTY
Tramex warrants that this instrument will be free from
defects and faulty workmanship for a period of one year
from date of first purchase. If a fault develops during the
warranty period, Tramex will, at its absolute discretion,
either repair the defective product without charge for
the parts and labor, or will provide a replacement in
exchange for the defective product returned to Tramex
Ltd. This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure
or damage caused by improper use or improper or inad-
equate maintenance and care.
In no event shallTramex, its agents or distributors be
liable to the customer or any other person, company or
organisation for any special, indirect, or consequential
loss or damage of any type whatsoever (including, with-
out limitation, loss of business, revenue, profits, data,
savings or goodwill), whether occasioned by the act,
breach, omission, default, or negligence ofTramex Ltd.,
whether or not foreseeable, arising howsoever out

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of or in connection with the sale of this product includ-
ing arising out of breach of contract, tort, misrepre-
sentation or arising from statute or indemnity. Without
prejudice to the above, all other warranties, represen-
tations and conditions whether made orally or implied
by circumstances, custom, contract, equity, statute or
common law are hereby excluded, including all terms
implied by Section 13, 14 and 15 of the Sale of Goods
Act 1893 and Sale of Goods and Supply of Services
Act 1980.
WARRANTY CLAIMS
A defective product should be returned shipping pre
paid, with full description of defect to your supplier or
to Tramex Ltd.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
It is the policy of Tramex to continually improve and
update all its products. We therefore reserve the right
to alter the specification or design of this instrument
without prior notice.

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SAFETY
This Users Guide does not purport to address the safety
concerns, if any, associated with this instrument or its
use. It is the responsibility of the user of this instrument
to establish appropriate safety and health practices and
determine the applicability of regulatory limitations
prior to use.

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Unit F, Glencormack Business Park, Kilmacanogue,
County Wicklow, Ireland.
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