TOPIC: Moisture staining on the common wall. Any one see this before?

Stephen,

How do you explain the 20% moisture reading at the start of my inspections (not raining yet).  It started to rain when I went inside for the interior inspection.  When leaving I checked the stain again and it was at 50%. Normally I would say something leaning up against the wall but not in this case.  I recommended further evaluation.  The seller refused so the buyer walked.  I know this is odd but I am guessing it was a flashing leak too.   

Thank you for your help all.

Have a blessed day!

It just does not make sense that a leak would occur, skip past about 5 feet of drywall and a drywall seam without any other signs of moisture between the "leak" and the existing stains.  The drywall seam alone would show some sort of staining due to surface tension at the gap between the two sections of drywall.  And yet there are none at this junction.  It appears to be surface stains.

As for the different reading, the difference can be a change in the angle the Protimeter was held in non-invasive mode.  You are also supposed to hold the meter on the sides, not on the bottom where a wet glove or finger in close proximity to the sensor can cause a false positive.  Did you use your pins as well?  They will work with porous, non-conductive building materials like drywall.