Who We Are

The Moisture Meters team includes experts in moisture meter technology and how moisture affects wood. They each have taken separate paths where they built their experience and expertise. What they share is a commitment to making sure woodworking professionals have the most accurate information about moisture and moisture meters.

Jason Wright, Business Development Specialist for new products at Wagner Meters, has worked in the flooring industry since he was 16 years old. He’s worked with flooring industry leaders, including as a regional sales manager with Kährs and as the national sales manager with Tarkett. A licensed flooring installer, Jason has deep knowledge of flooring materials and processes developed through first-hand experience and helping others in the industry. He spends his off time with his family, enjoying boating, cooking, and driving dune buggies.

Jason Spangler, Wagner Meters’ Flooring Sales Manager, has over 25 years of experience working with products in the construction, roofing, and concrete flooring industries. Every day, he talks to customers, helping answer their moisture-related questions and concerns. Jason is actively involved in flooring industry organizations, serving as Vice Chairman of Associations of the FCICA, and as a member of NWFA and CFI. When not fixated on flooring, Jason enjoys motorsports.

Ron Smith, Forest Products Division Manager for Wagner Meters, specializes in moisture measurement applications for primary and secondary wood-products manufacturers. Ron has clocked over 39 years of experience with telemetry and instrumentation sales and product management. He got started in the industrial measurement and telemetry field in 1980 with Butler National Corporation out of the Kansas City area. Ron is motivated by the challenge of finding new ways that the skilled trades can use leading moisture measurement technology. Ron and his wife Debbie have two children and four grandchildren. He also enjoys watching college football and getting to go fishing occasionally.

He remains fueled by his desire to innovate, not only in product development but in marketing too. Eric co-created the marketing department in 2011, when he joined Wagner Meters full-time. He saw that even innovative, top-quality products need a strong marketing team supporting them. Under Eric’s leadership, the marketing arm of the company expanded to become a separate firm, i7 Marketing, that now also provides digital marketing services to select clients and small companies in boutique industries that offer premium products. Eric and his wife Kim have two young children. He’s an active volunteer in the community and a leader at his church. Before having kids, he was a hobbyist woodworker, building larger things like furniture as well as smaller crafts. Now he spends as much family time as he can enjoying the outdoors.

The Moisture Meters website covers all issues related to hardwood flooring, how moisture affects wood, and moisture meters. A lot of the content looks under the hood, digging into moisture meter technology. Here’s the skinny primer on the two types of wood moisture meter technology:

Resistance meters (pin meters): Pin meters insert two prongs into the wood and measure the current between them. Moisture conducts electricity. The slower the current between the pins, the higher the moisture content of the wood.

Electromagnetic field technology meters (EMF or pinless meters): Pinless meters use an electromagnetic sensor pad. When pressed on top of the wood, the sensor pad emits an electromagnetic wave. That EM wave triggers a return wave within the wood. Because moisture affects the movement of EM waves, the meter can use that second wave’s movement to calculate moisture content.

What We Do

The Moisture Meters website is a go-to resource for woodworkers who don’t want moisture to mess with their work. The site is updated regularly with insights, how-to’s, and explainer articles and videos.

You’ll find educational articles and resources geared to every level of expertise. Whether you’re a novice, professional installer, or journeyman, there’s useful guidance here for you. Hobbyists are welcome too, even though the focus is on the professional woodworker.

Moisture Meters also explores the moisture-related challenges of different types of woodworkers. Hardwood flooring installers, furniture makers, and other carpenters – even building inspectors. Some of your questions about wood moisture are similar, some aren’t. The Moisture Meters resource is here for everyone.

Why We Do It

Working with wood can sometimes be as frustrating as it is satisfying. Moisture issues account for a lot of that frustration. The Moisture Meters team has seen first-hand the unsightly damage that either excess or low moisture can cause in wood.

Because you take a lot of pride in your craft, having access to accurate, detailed information about wood moisture is critical to getting the job done right.

Our goal is to make sure that all our readers are well-educated about moisture and moisture meters. The world needs fewer flooring failures and tainted woodwork. We’re here to help you be successful.

How Moisture Meters Benefits You

The more you know, the greater you can excel in your field. Moisture issues can be complicated. The right moisture meter, properly used, empowers you to provide the highest quality work. To make the right choices about which moisture meter to use and how to use it, you need to understand the intricacies of moisture in wood.

As your knowledge grows, moisture-related failures or defects in your projects will decrease. The positive impact on your bottom line will be quantifiable. Expect more referrals and less time spent on remediation work. 

Do you want to earn a reputation as a local expert? Staying on top of the technologies, standards, and science around wood moisture and moisture meters is vital to that mission. Moisture Meters is your partner in your efforts to be a well-informed leader in your specialty.