How Water Remediation Professionals Test For Moisture

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the expertise and equipment and specialized sensors to mitigate water damage of any size.

A leaking refrigerator/freezer in your home can happen for several reasons. If the defrost drain freezes, the water overflows the drain trough and drips down to the bottom compartment, eventually leaking onto the floor. The water tank assembly can also begin leaking. These leaks can be challenging to find, but a leaking tank requires replacement. Also, if you have a water dispenser and ice maker, the inlet valve can become loose or cracked, allowing water to leak.

SERVPRO can restore water-damaged Greenville homes. We have all the right tools for this, and our staff has been specially trained and certified.

When your home has suffered water damage, our goal is to return all the affected materials to their normal moisture content levels. We use moisture meters to find the actual moisture content of different materials to help us determine if your structure is dry. Penetrating moisture meters have probes to test inside wall cavities and underneath the flooring. Penetrating meters also test separate layers. Non-penetrating meters have sensors that do readings when placed on the surface of materials.

SERVPRO technicians must use the moisture meters properly. We ensure that the meter we are using is set to the surface we are testing. A moisture meter set for drywall, for example, does not accurately read moisture content in wood materials. The relative scale is used to determine readings for non-wood materials and the wood scale to determine readings for wood. If possible, we can establish a baseline of moisture content from material from an unaffected area of the structure.

We also use thermo-hygrometers to measure both the relative humidity and temperature. We let the meter adapt to air conditions in the room before taking the reading, then in conjunction with a psychrometric calculator or chart to figure out the specific humidity. Readings of air for four areas are used, including the areas unaffected, the areas affected by moisture outside the home, and the exhaust being processed through the dehumidifier into the affected area.

SERVPRO of Greenville has the tools to ensure that your home is thoroughly dry again after cleaning up the water damage. Contact us at (252)-329-7205.