Top Tips for Moisture Meter Use in Water Mitigation
The water damage restoration industry recognized standard of care, the ANSI/IICRC S500, contains a significant amount of information related to the use of meters during a drying project. Firms need meters that provide a quantified representation of the amount of moisture present in a material, either as moisture content or moisture level, but the standard does not dictate which specific devices are required. However, the meters selected need to provide users with information on the extent of moisture migration, relevant moisture readings on a daily basis, drying goals (based on dry standards), and psychrometric values and calculations. Meters must be used to evaluate the degree of migration; document what material is affected, the degree of wetting, and the exact edge of migration; and evaluate the air in the structure and related temperature and humidity. The standard requires that this information be assessed again each day, but the frequency "may be adjusted by the agreed scope of work, potential for secondary damage, job site accessibility, or by agreement between the materially interested parties." The standard addresses the need for consistency by calling out the differences in calibration that occur from one instrument to another and discusses the exact location of meter use, recommending that meters be used in the same location each day of the monitoring process and at the same approximate time of day.