Industry-specific advice is always helpful, especially when the authority is also a master craftsman. In this last of our series of articles featuring the value of Delmhorst moisture meters in a number of applications, we are sharing the insights and opinions of Billy Simmons, founder of ITAC International. As an expert hardwood flooring professional, Simmons not only installs and inspects high-quality hardwood floors, but also advises the industry and the legal system about what it means to lay and maintain a quality hardwood surface in a high humidity environment.
Our Client: A Hardwood Flooring Industry Expert
Billy Simmons of ITAC International is a long-time contractor from America's deep south, where high humidity is a constant factor in every building project. On the job in his family-owned business, he's been engaging with high-end flooring surfaces for years as an installer, as a repair professional, and as a consultant.
A recognized expert in his field, Simmons teaches the art of wood flooring selection, installation, and maintenance to new generations of artisans. He also acts as an expert witness in legal cases where flooring decisions and actions have gone wrong.
The Need: Humidity and Moisture Control
Many buildings in the south are well known for their stunning architecture and highly styled interiors, and many of them include high-end hardwood floors. An inappropriate wood choice or poor installation practice can cause serious problems with the functionality of the floor, including failures that require expensive removal and replacement costs.
These types of challenges are presented to Simmons on a regular basis, either through his business, by one of his students, or by industry clients. Simmons states that in many instances, high moisture content within the flooring is the challenge of the day. That situation could have been prevented if the installer had used a quality moisture meter like the ones offered by Delmhorst.
The Solution: Delmhorst’s JX-30 Moisture Meter
The JX-30 moisture meter for wood is the most recent Delmhorst instrument he's been using, but Simmons says he's used Delmhorst meters his whole career. He began with the J-2000 many years ago and, since then, has had the opportunity to compare and contrast Delmhorst’s tools against other moisture meters in the industry. Simmons cites several factors to explain why he continues to rely on Delmhorst despite the availability of so many other options:
- Delmhorst designs each of its wood-focused instruments to precisely meet the environmental exposure conditions those woods will encounter.
- Delmhorst tools are also the most accurate devices he's used. Simmons notes that Delmhorst meters maintain their calibration over time, which is not always the case with devices from other manufacturers. All too often with other brands, the accuracy of the moisture content reading is skewed because the meter itself isn’t properly calibrated for the situation.
- The EDGE™ app, which is exclusive to Delmhorst's Navigator™ series of meters, eliminates the need to scroll through lists of wood species to find the one required for the case at hand. With the EDGE™ app, Simmons can just select one or more species from the initial drop-down list – and he doesn’t need to waste time re-executing that search again throughout the project.
- The app also logs and maintains the data generated with each reading, including both numerical measurements and accompanying screen-shot images. This data management function, Simmons asserts, is especially significant for the legal issues he's asked to explain, because the accurate moisture content data supports the visual relevance of the images. The combined presentation of both visual and factual data eliminates the possibility of human error and makes the device a powerful tool in court.
The Impact: Expertise Shared
As a leading voice in the wood flooring industry, Simmons recommends Delmhorst moisture meters for wood to both his students and his clients. His advice helps new wood flooring installers launch their careers with the best quality tools available, while his clients avoid costly repair or replacements because they are equipped to install their new hardwood floors properly.
You can learn more about the value of the Delmhorst JX-30 and how it can relieve your wood-based moisture content woes by contacting Delmhorst's professionals today.
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