High moisture levels in a house?

Moisture.

The enemy of materials used in the construction of buildings.

Dampness provides ideal conditions for borer, and microorganisms in timber. Moisture causes the rusting of unprotected steel.

With low moisture levels most building materials can last indefinitely.

Identifying high moisture levels is a fundamental aspect of building inspections.

There may be obvious visual clues: staining, smells, peeling paint or wall coverings, etc.

But often there are no signs of moisture. The subfloor space may be inaccessible. Leaking roofs, walls, or water pipes may not be obvious.

I use a Protimeter Surveymaster, the Mercedes of moisture testing devices, that has two modes of operation.

Measure Mode used pins that give a percentage moisture content of the surface moisture of the material.

Survey Mode uses radio waves to measure moisture to a depth from 0—20 mm. This is useful when determining whether a shower is leaking, or measuring moisture levels under tiles.

My Surveymaster is an exceedingly useful instrument for finding damaging moisture in a house.

But it can take expertise in house inspections to identify what is causing any elevated moisture levels, and what needs to be done to rectify the situation.

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