ABSTRACT
Surface moisture plays a critical role in the deterioration of building materials, whether they are metallic or non-metallic. The deposition of moisture on surfaces of buildings not only depends on atmospheric conditions, such as precipitation, relative humidity, air temperature and prevailing wind, but also on factors such as building design, orientation, surface temperature and, not least, the material itself. The influences of all these factors make predictions of the microclimate on and near surfaces of buildings extremely uncertain from ambient meteorological conditions solely. Consequently, direct measurement of surface moisture using a miniature sensor would probably result in the most adequate data, enabling meaningful correlations with the material degradation.
