As a home inspector, it is important for us to be equipped with the right tools in conducting our jobs. One of the most important tools we can ever invest on is the moisture meter. But before we proceed to making the investment, it is vital for us to understand what these things can do for us. In this article, we are going to discuss the features of a moisture meter that you need to know.
Two Types Of Moisture Meters
There was a time when we talk about moisture meters, we can only refer to a single thing. But these days, there are already other versions of this stuff. That is why in discussing the features, we have to separate the topic into the destructive and non-destructive type of moisture meter.
- Destructive moisture meter
This lets you measure the moisture level on the swab. It has two pins the cast that penetrates in order to lead to the swab measurement. Due to the contact of the two pins, electricity is able to pass. Meanwhile, it is the water that conducts the electricity through the lesser resistance.
- Non-destructive moisture meter
This kind of moisture meter performs its magic through the use of radio waves. Due to this feature, it is considered to be a more high-tech machine compared to the destructive moisture meter.
In case you are unaware, the reason the first machine is called destructive moisture meter is because the penetration of the two pins can lead to machine damage in the long-term.
Meanwhile, since the other version uses radio waves instead of pins, the digital moisture cannot harm the machine itself.
A lot of experts also say that the non-destructive moisture meter is more accurate in determining the moisture reading among other means.
When Do You Need A Moisture Meter?
We are pretty sure that after hearing about the difference and features of the non-destructive and destructive moisture meters, you may want to use the better version. But the truth is that there is no better version among the two. They can both be useful, just in very different circumstances.
For instance, the non-destructive moisture meter can be used if the wood you plan to measure had been soaked on water. Maybe the house has experienced flooding in the past. In that case, there is bound to be some remaining moisture deep in the wood. In this particular scenario, using a non-destructive meter would be the best decision.
If we are going to shift our topic of moisture measurement to concrete floors, we can truly say that the destructive meter would be more useful. The same goes to any other house element that uses dry factors. This is due to the electricity that will be present during the testing.
Those were some pretty important information about moisture meters. But the hardest part is actually choosing the right brand of moisture meter for you. There are lots of brands out there but not all of them will leave up to your expectations. Let me share this link to you https://cozyhousetoday.com/best-moisture-meter-for-home-inspectors/ so you will have an idea of what a good moisture meter looks like.