THE MOISTURE METER: AN ESSENTIAL TOOL

6/22/2019 (Permalink)

Have you seen our technicians use a moisture meter after you experienced water damage in your Long Beach home? A moisture meter is an essential instrument used in our industry to detect moisture content and identify damage to structures from moisture buildup. There are three common types of moisture meters: pin-type, pin-less, and all-in-one.

Pin-type Moisture Meters

Pin-type meters calculate the moisture content percentage using contact pins. This is considered an invasive process since the pins are inserted into the wet material. This tool is good for measuring wood flooring, drywall, painted surfaces, carpeting, ceiling tile, and cement.

Pin-less Moisture Meters

Pin-less meters provide a nondestructive measurement of moisture since there are no pins to insert into the water damaged materials. As a result, this type of meter leaves less of a trace after measurement. This tool works well in unreachable areas such as behind bathroom tiles and under vinyl flooring, as well as a variety of finished surfaces.

All-in-one Moisture Meters

A third and possibly more useful moisture meter would be an all-in-one meter which utilizes both methods described above. Because this type of meter measures moisture with or without the use of pins, one meter can identify problem areas and also pinpoint the exact location where moisture damage or buildup is occurring. 

At SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach / Signal Hill, we use the all-in-one moisture meter during our projects in order to handle a variety of situations and respond to customer needs. This specific meter comes with a pin and pin-less Moisture Psychrometer and a built-in Infrared Thermometer. The pin-less sensor allows us to measure moisture in various types of wood and building materials with virtually no surface damage, and the remote pin-type probe can be used for contact readings in hard-to-reach areas. It also has a built-in humidity and temperature probe that measures relative humidity, air temperature, and vapor pressure. Should you experience water damage after a flood or broken pipe, we’re available 24/7 to eliminate hidden moisture and reverse its damaging effects.