Avoiding Moisture Damage and The Repair Costs Associated With It
The NWFA* admits to an estimated $1 billion** a year in moisture-related damages to flooring.
If you want to avoid the many hassles tied to natural moisture fluctuations in your home, it
behooves you to choose a professionally trained installer from the get-go.
Before ‘breaking ground’ on your flooring project, a
well-trained flooring installer will be on the
lookout for signs of previous moisture build-ups. He/she will also have a number of tools at their
disposal to determine the ideal conditions for installing new flooring materials in your home, as
well as how to best acclimate them to your home’s humidity levels. This process significantly
reduces the chance of moisture damage down the road, barring the occasional flood due to
burst pipes or other mishaps of that nature.
Ensuring that your
hardwood flooring is properly acclimated to its new environment prior to the
installation process is absolutely key to avoiding future cupping or warping of your floors. Wood
establishes ‘equilibrium’ with its surroundings all on its own, by naturally expanding and
contracting according to existing moisture levels in the air. In fact, the NWFA recommends that
accurate readings be taken on the humidity and temperature levels prior to installing hardwood
through the use of high-quality moisture meters.
Many hardwood flooring installers rely on Delmhorst’s** double-pin water meters as their
meters of choice. This simple technology allows for measuring a current that transmits between
two electrodes, within the hardwood itself, giving installers a much more accurate read. If the
current is at all impeded, it is usually a sign that moisture is present.
Other highly reputable water meters are made by Tramex. Their technology is less invasive than
Delmhorst’s as it measures moisture from the surface rather than from inside. Nonetheless,
they are extremely reliable for measuring moisture levels in concrete as well as in wood. The
company itself was founded during the nineteen seventies, and its reputation continues to grow
and thrive on an international scale.
Both of these tools are considered essential staples among Floor Town’s well-trained installers.
* (National Wood Flooring Association)
**(both in insurance claims as well as in labor and material costs.)
*** (according to Galt’s expert product, buying & technology reviews)
Sources:
1.
http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/member.nwfa.org/resource/resmgr/Education_PPTs/How_Moistur
e_Claims_Can_Drow.pdf?hhSearchTerms=%22cost+and+hardwood+and+claims%22
2. http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/best-moisture-meter.php
