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The $20 moisture meter I laughed at actually saved my floors
I was listing a house in Raleigh last month and the buyer's inspector pulled out this cheap little moisture meter. I thought it was gimmick stuff, you know? But he showed me how the subfloor was reading 18% moisture near the sliding door, which explained why the laminate was buckling. Two days later I bought the same $20 meter at Home Depot and now I check every house I show before anyone puts in an offer. Has anyone else had a tool they dismissed turn out to be super useful?
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oliverhernandez11d ago
@margareto26 did that flood damage or just high humidity cause the warping?
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luna_wright11d agoMost Upvoted
...and honestly, I just read a thing from some building science nerd who said humidity alone usually only makes things swell or cup a little, but if you've got actual warping like boards pulling up or twisting, there's a good chance you're looking at direct water contact. I mean, I guess if the humidity stays over 90% for weeks on end in a closed up house it could get real bad, but usually the warping you can feel with your hand is from a leak or a flood. My buddy Mike had a place where the crawlspace flooded and he swore it was just "musty air" until he saw the joists starting to bow.
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margareto2611d ago
Oh man, my friend Sarah just went through this exact thing with her flip house in Durham. She tossed her old moisture meter in a drawer after one use and then spent $800 ripping out warped hardwood because she didn't check near the dishwasher. Now it's the first thing she grabs before signing any closing papers, like a $20 insurance policy.
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