A thorough visual inspection is by far the most efficient method and anyone can do it.  However, we don’t find many folks that do a thorough visual inspection of their home or office on a regular basis!  Odor is another good indictor – damp, musty odors are usually synonymous with microbial growth and microbial growth is normally dependent on an organic food source and moisture.

Professional tools available to the cleaning and restoration industry are:

1.     Non-penetrating moisture meter.  This handheld meter sits on the surface and uses electrical impendence to determine if there is any electrical conductor below the surface.  Some awareness of construction is needed since it reads a metal corner or window bead just like it reads water below the surface.  This test is 50 – 75% reliable.

2.     Penetrating moisture meter.  Similar to the non-penetrating but it uses two insulated tips to penetrate through and below the surface to determine the depth of the moisture issue.   Both instruments are often used together in a professional investigation.

3.     Infrared cameras are a relative new technology in the cleaning and restoration industry and provide a quick and semi-accurate evaluation of large spaces.  Thermography is the measurement of temperature differential on various surfaces.  Non-penetrating and penetrating meters are often used to verify moisture versus cold surfaces in buildings.  This equipment is very expensive, ranging in price between $6,000.00 and $25,000.00.   It is by far the fastest method of determining multiple wet or damp areas of a building and is essential to mitigate catastrophic water intrusion events that need to be dried quickly to avoid additional environmental damage.   There is normally a charge for the use and documentation provided by this equipment.

4.     Negative Pressurization Equipment – we use a blower door specifically designed to create negative pressurization within an entire structure.  A spray bar to apply water to the exterior of the structure (or Mother Nature can provide a good steady rain at no charge!) in conjunction with all of the above equipment can simulate a 25-mile-per-hour, wind-driven rain storm.  This is aggressive testing but often times very necessary to affect repairs of newer homes still under warranty.

Our Healthy Home Inspection includes any, all or some of this equipment based on a thorough visual inspection of your home or office.  We will identify and offer written suggestions on minor-to-major maintenance items that we feel are necessary to protect your investment and improve the indoor air quality of your building.  A bonus of the program is that if you have a major catastrophic loss within one year of our inspection, we will credit the cost of the inspection toward mitigation or restoration service you pay us to provide.  Call us at (916) 386-8191, or toll free at (800) 564-1846 for additional information and an appointment.

Last update: 10:27 AM Thursday, November 13, 2008

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