Keeping offices and other public spaces clean and dry is an important way to keep them healthy. With excess moisture, mold and mildew can develop, and bacteria can multiply. That’s why many Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration-Certified (IICRC) professionals use moisture meters during and after completion of flood cleanup or other water restoration/remediation work to ensure that your home is properly dried.
What’s a Moisture Meter?
It’s an electronic moisture sensing device used to measure the internal moisture percentage of various construction materials, such as wood, gypsum board, masonry, etc. There are two general categories of moisture meters: penetrating and nonpenetrating. Penetrating meters use sharp pins or probes that are inserted into materials to measure the moisture percentage contained therein. Nonpenetrating meters transmit electrical impulses into the material and measure resistance in order to electronically determine moisture content. Different settings on nonpenetrating meters enable technicians to detect moisture in materials of various densities; e.g., wood, drywall, masonry.
Moisture Testing What’s Involved?
An IICRC-Certified technician will often measure the moisture content of materials during the drying process and after he or she finishes the job to determine when they are as dry as they were before the water intrusion occurred, and at equilibrium with surrounding conditions. This is determined by comparing current results with moisture content measurements of similar materials in areas or in homes not impacted by the water. This is referred to as the “Dry Standard.”
Post-job moisture measurement is just another way skilled technicians can provide assurance to homeowners that the job has been done properly and that their homes are safe and dry.
