Some people believe that there are many things that can cause damp, but the most basic and easiest way to understand how a surveyor checks for damp is through moisture meters. A moisture meter is a measuring instrument that provides an indication of the ambient level of water in the soil. Here is how do surveyors check for damp.
Some people think that their house might be suffering from damp because they can see mould on their walls or feel mildew creeping up their bedroom steps at night. This usually only happens when the house has not had any central heating or hot water system in its previous life and has been built over a damp or poorly drained soil. However, surveyors can also detect the presence of damp if their instruments show an excess of 10% moisture in the soil when they visit your property.
The method used by a surveyor to check for damp is called a soil moisture meter. This is a device that can measure the moisture content in the soil and will show a reading of between 0% and 100% by turning red when it meets the required level of damp. The meter is usually set at 0% to ensure that no moisture has accumulated in the soil since it was last measured. This can be very easy to do because you need only get your water hose, water and maybe some fertilizer or animal feeder close to an instrument that can sense moisture.
What is a moisture meter?
A moisture meter is a measuring instrument that provides an indication of the ambient level of water in the soil. By placing the probes into the soil, you can ascertain whether there is an excessive amount of water in it. When this level is over what is called optimum, you will need to take action to alleviate the excess moisture. The greatest level of moisture that an instrument can display is 100%, which means that the level of damp is certainly excessive.
There are different types of soil moisture meter types that are used in the field. These include a variety of soil moisture meters, hand portable instruments, specialized instruments and portable instruments. The most widely used type is the handheld soil moisture meter, while they are also available as portable instruments and specialist tools.