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My Moisture Meter Is Ready For Its Next Home Inspection!Posted by admin on April 10th, 2014

moisture meter skin testI changed the battery and calibrated my moisture meter this morning. I also successfully tested my skin and it contains moisture, so that’s good… but how do I use my moisture meter in a home inspection?

I use my moisture meter anytime I see moisture stains or have pinpointed a suspicious area that needs checking. Common areas that I check with my meter are:

  • Ceilings and walls (particularly at chimneys and at potential plumbing and roof leaks)
  • walls/ceilings/floors near plumbing
  • in basements and crawlspaces under plumbing and where foundations show previous or current leaks

My moisture meter is an invaluable tool to have in a home inspection and I use it a lot (mostly just to be sure) but surprisingly, I don’t usually find an alarming amount moisture. (Testing wood is tricky because it naturally contains moisture.) It’s even more difficult to detect moisture during the summer months when it hasn’t rained for a while so little moisture is present from a lack of rain.

If the house you’re getting inspected has had leaks or moisture issues in the past that the realtor and client know about, let me know so I can check it with my meter!