Finding Water Damage in Your Home Using Moisture Meters

What Moisture Meters Do?

Moisture meters are used to determine the level of moisture inside materials. Several industries, including construction and restoration, use moisture detectors for different purposes.  For instance, carpenters evaluate the quality of the wood with wood moisture meters and contractors use the tool to identify the condition of the foundation before installing the floor.

Most moisture meters indicate the level of moisture in percentage. However, the percent may differ from material to material, such as wood, fabric, and non-wood.

Additionally, when buying your moisture meter, we suggest you select the one that comprises a scale reading for gypsum too. If you get a meter that has a color indicator as well, then nothing better than it.

What are The Types of Moisture Meters?

While there are different types of moisture detectors, we are going to share the types that are used in water damage restoration.

Penetrating Moisture Meters:

As the name suggests, a penetrating moisture meter will penetrate through the surface to calculate the moisture content. They share more accurate readings than any other meter. They feature two pins, which are inserted inside drilled holes to determine trapped moisture. They are perfect for floodwater damage or pipe burst, as they can measure the penetrated moisture inside drywalls and insulation.

Non-Penetrating Moisture Meters:

They are easy to use if you aren’t an expert at restoration. They require no drilling, which means there is no risk of you damaging the floor or wall. The meters comprise two flat sensors, which measure the level of moisture between them. While it may not provide accurate readings, a non-penetrable moisture meter is a good solution to compare the amount of moisture between a water damaged area and a non-water damaged area.

Hydro Sensors:

If you wish to find out how far the water has traveled from the source, then you must use hydro sensors. They are a sub-type of penetrable moisture meter that is used to send accurate visual readings of how far the water has penetrated. For instance, you can find out the amount of water traveled beneath the carpet and carpet padding.

Thermo-Hygrometers:

Thermo-Hygrometers measure the level of moisture in the environment. They are used to examine the conditions of the environment to find out if the area can be effectively dried up using the available restoration tools. They take in to account important factors like relative humidity and temperature. You can use Thermo-Hygrometers to measure the moisture level in a contained space as well. The readings help water damage restoration companies in understanding whether particular equipment is working or not, such as dehumidifier. You can also measure dew point and GPP (Grains Per Pound) with Thermo-Hygrometers.