Moisture meters make a contractor’s job easier and allow you to provide better service to your customers. Delmhorst’s new multi-purpose TechScan pinless moisture meter simplifies that job even further. We’ve put water damage restoration, home inspection, indoor air quality, woodworking and floor installation applications all in one non-invasive device that measures moisture up to ¾” deep and allows you to read hard to reach areas.
Here’s how you can make the most of this powerful new tool:
Using TechScan for Water Damage Restoration or Mold Remediation
Use the pinless meter to identify moisture in walls, ceilings and floors during water damage restoration or mold remediation. Establish pre-loss conditions by locating an area of the building that was not damaged and take several readings on various building materials. This will establish a “dry standard” or target moisture level to use as a benchmark when drying damaged areas. The adjustable alarm can be set to alert you when this preset dry standard is reached.
When taking readings be sure to do so at several locations on each wall. Pay special attention near the base, around doorjambs, electrical and plumbing fixtures and other areas water may have entered. Use the meter continuously during the drying process to monitor drying progress.
Applications for Flooring Installation
When possible, allow wood flooring to acclimate in its environment for several days before installation. During this period, check both the floor and the sub floor to ensure that moisture levels of both materials remain stable and are within recommended moisture content (MC) guidelines.
Pinless moisture meters can be an effective tool for checking comparative moisture conditions in concrete slabs, showing you where there may be excess moisture and helping determine whether you need to conduct further ASTM F-2179-11 testing.
Taking a Reading is Fast and Easy
1. Press the On/Hold key to turn the unit on.
2. Press the Scale key to select the Wood or the Reference scale.
-Wood Scale: calibrated to show %MC based on the average specific gravity of Douglas Fir (0.46).
-Reference Scale: the meter switches to a lower sensitivity mode, suitable for a wide range of materials. The numbers on this scale are relative (qualitative) indications of moisture levels, not %MC.
3. Press the On/Hold key while taking a reading in a hard to reach location to hold (or freeze) the current reading. The meter will beep slowly and continue to hold the reading until the On/Hold key is pressed again.
4. The adjustable alarm (a fast beep) will sound when the current reading is above a preselected moisture level to compare to an established dry standard.
TechScan Tips
- Make sure the entire sensor plate is in contact with the surface of the material.
- Pressure impacts readings from pinless moisture meters, so apply and maintain uniform, firm pressure to the meter when taking readings.
- The meter’s RF signal penetrates to ¾”. When measuring thinner material, the material underneath the wood may influence the readings. If possible, place a piece of glass, rubber or Styrofoam under the sample to avoid false readings.
- Surface moisture slightly increases the readings. Wipe obvious moisture from the board surface to minimize this effect.
TechScan pinless moisture meter makes it easy to find “hot spots” and narrow down areas affected by moisture. Use it as a stand-alone tool or with our pin-type meters for further precise diagnosis.
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