Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) offers the possibility to determine moisture profiles in porous building materials. Moreover, the relaxation of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal can provide additional information on the water distribution in the microstructure. For mortar, it is shown that the transverse relaxation yields information on the distribution of water in the gel pores and capillary pores. Moisture profiles and relaxation were measured during water absorption. The effect of the drying treatment on the microstructure and the water absorption was investigated.