tool question....2 parts

[jodil]

First question, almost every stain I see has some amount of moisture registered. What tool can I use (or buy) to more accurately determine of there is an active leak?

Second...Now no smart ass comments here just cuz y'all know Im female...this is serious now! My plumber (a man) told me about a personal spider repeller device thingy that he saw at a trade show. It clips onto your clothes and transmits some kind of signal to make spiders go away.. I cant find it anywhere, ever heard of it?

Thanks

[Les]

Jodi,

wanna buy a bridge?

Also, with a name like Leslie, do you really think I am gender biased????

I really don't care what flavor you are and would expect the same from you.

[Scottpat]

Originally posted by jodil

First question, almost every stain I see has some amount of moisture registered. What tool can I use (or buy) to more accurately determine of there is an active leak?

This would be a moisture meter. You have two types. One is non-invasive and the other has two pins that go into the material that you are testing. I would recommend for your first meter a non-invasive meter. Tramex Moisture Encounter is a good one. Next would be the Protimeter SM. With the SM you have both a non-invasive and a pin meter in one package. Expect to spend around $300 to $400 for a good meter.

Second...Now no smart ass comments here just cuz y'all know Im female...this is serious now! My plumber (a man) told me about a personal spider repeller device thingy that he saw at a trade show. It clips onto your clothes and transmits some kind of signal to make spiders go away.. I cant find it anywhere, ever heard of it?

Thanks

As Les said, he has a great bridge for sale!

[Richard Stanley]

Google spider repellent - take your choice.

[inspector57]

For what it is worth, from Wikipedia:

There are also insect repellent products available based on sound production, particularly ultrasound (inaudibly high frequency sounds). These electronic devices have been shown to have no effect as a pest repellent by studies done by the EPA and many universities.[1]

[Jesse]

Jodi -

Take readings in and around the area of concern. If levels vary, and you think it's because of moisture(as opposed to some other conductive material in the wall/floor/etc), then there's a problem. If the entire surface registers the same low result on a meter, you should be OK. If the entire surface registers the same high result, you have a big problem, or another conductive material behind the surface.

[Jesse]

I just read my last post. Not too proud of the writing. I need a nap, or a slap in the face.

[Chris Bernhardt]

What tool can I use (or buy) to more accurately determine of there is an active leak?

Well, you can't. Actually you already own it. It's you. Just because a stain measures dry doesn't mean there's not a leak and vice a versa.

You can use tools to gather information but you have to be very careful about using them as a decision point.

When you're inspecting, try and take every opportunity to learn from the anomalies you're seeing. Many dumbasses just record their existence.

Concerning the other question, are you freaked by spiders or is it for advice for a client?

Luckily I am not at all afraid of spiders but I'm freaked by snakes. I have walked face first into more spider webs with the host clinging from me then I can count.

Chris, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by jodil

. . . My plumber (a man) told me about a personal spider repeller device thingy that he saw at a trade show. It clips onto your clothes and transmits some kind of signal to make spiders go away.. I cant find it anywhere, ever heard of it?

Thanks

I've heard of them but I've never seen one. If you have a source for one and if it's not too expensive, I'll be happy to buy one, test it, and post the results here.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[fqp25]

Les,

Tell me more about this bridge. How much? Can I trade in the other bridge I bought last week?

No seriously, I'm sure I've heard of this devise, that Jodi is talking about, but I can't remember exactly when & where. I think it was the same thing that is suppose to rid off fleas as well. I think I'll just wait for Katen's analysis.

Frank

[jodil]

I have a moisture meter (two prong) but I dont feel that the results are what I am looking for. I have tested spots that I know have been repaired and they still register as containing good amounts of moisture..

I dont like replacing my own gut feeling with tools. I want as little amount of gadets as possible. But this is one area that I feel that my judgement needs to be enhanced by SOMETHING..

Ive read alot about the infrared camera. Interesting but too pricey for right now..

and Chris, no I dont like spiders. But I have a allergy to insects period. Mosquito, bee, ant and especially spiders make me swell up like a balloon. And ND is a breeding ground for all kinds of the ugly little creatures. Repellent doesnt cut it for me.. I went to the ER four times last summer with mosquito bites. Its ridiculous.

I was fully anticipating a couple of "eww the girl doesnt like spiders" jokes, just like in nearly all the topics I have posted, someone feels like they must throw in an ex wife comment or something gender specific.." Im actually finding it to be funny.. Its kinda like having a large group of brothers to talk with and give me shit from time to time...sorry if it ruffled your feathers les..

[hausdok]

Hi Jodi,

If you're allergic to spider bites, it would be prudent to talk to your doctor about getting you a prescription, or whatever is needed, to keep a syringe of whatever drug they typically use to combat allergic reactions and teach you how, where, and when to inject it.

I don't worry about spiders. I don't smack them to kill them; I just push past them. If they get out of my way, they live, if not, I suppose they get crushed as I push by, over, under them. However, once, many years ago, I got finished with a job, collected my check, packed my tools, and was driving home when I felt a sharp hot burning in the center of my back. I thought it might be a bee or something that had gotten into my shirt. I pulled over, shook out my shirt, got back in the truck and continued on my way home. Not far down the road, I suddenly got blurred vision and felt pretty nauseous. It got worse and worse, so I drove myself to my health care providers office which wasn't far away. It turned out, at least from what they saw since I'd shaken out my shirt, that I'd been bitten by a spider and the doctor was convinced that, from the bullseye pattern of redness around the bite that it had been a brown recluse. Anyway, they gave me some kind of medication and I obviously didn't die but I got pretty sick. Later, I remembered that there were an unusual number of large gray wolf spiders in that crawlspace and under the deck of that house. In a pest seminar we'd had not long before that, the state's pest guy had told us that the brown recluse had moved into Washington somehow and that the only natural predator of the brown recluse was the gray wolf spider. For about 6 weeks as that bite healed I lived with the very uncomfortable sensation of someone constantly raking their nails over my back 24/7 and in the end a small piece of flesh about 3/4 inch in diameter got necrosis and is now scar tissue.

I still push past spiders - what else can I do, I can't waste time playing around with a dumb stick or something - but now I'm more careful about fastening that top button on my coveralls to keep stuff from going down my back when I'm working.

Be careful out there.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[hausdok]

Jodi,

Please don't take any of the ribbing from these guys the wrong way or consider it harassment; I'm sure they mean it all in the most endearing way. We've had other female inspectors on here over the years and I can't remember of any that weren't accepted. Guys pretty much bust on each other all the time - it's a tendency built into our genetic makeup, I think - and if they're ribbing you it means that they've accepted you.

In the Army, I worked side-by-side and/or supervised a lot of female soldiers over the years. Some were good soldiers and some were bad soldiers, but, once they were accepted into the squad, office, or platoon they just became one of the guys and the ribbing was the way the male troops always showed their acceptance. It's when I'd get a female troop in that didn't get ribbed that I'd worry, 'cuz that usually meant that there was something wrong with the way she was integrating into the platoon - either she was screwing around with one of the other troops or they were shying away from her because they didn't trust her - either way was a formula for trouble. That turned out to be true in almost every circumstance.

Somewhere out there is Pam Pecor, one of my Team Leaders when I was with the Regimental Aggressor Platoon at Ft. McClellan. Pam could run faster, do more pushups and situps than most men in the platoon, and take off uphill with an M60 on one arm Rambo-style and leave most of us in the dust. Still, when she put on civilian clothes and a dress, the guys would stumble all over themselves and get tongue-tied, 'cuz she was no longer one of 'the guys' or Sgt. Pecor anymore. She was a terrific soldier and I was proud to serve with her.

I do have to warn you about Les, though. He's just an incorrigible flirt and can't seem to help himself.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

I'm w/Chris. The best device is your acumen.

There's building details that invite water entrance. You develop your spidey sense to recognize them. You gotta have a moisture device for backup, but your knowledge is the best thing.

I often describe areas that I'm suspicious of as being "set up for problems w/water entrance". I then describe what those conditions are, and indicate I can't know for sure without tearing things open. I always include a photo w/those things.

Water likes angles, vertices, penetrations, transitions, etc. You will develop the ability to recognize those problem areas better by going to mfg's. websites and downloading all their flashing detail drawings. Once you understand how flashing is supposed to be installed, and realize that it never is installed properly, finding the high likelihood leak locations isn't hard.

Back to spidey sense..... No way around it. Bugs are a problem. I take a stick w/me into crawlspaces to sweep around in front of me to drive stuff away. After that, it's a hazard of the job. If you have special sensitivities, you should talk to your doctor. If you swell up, you might want to carry one of those "epi packs", or whatever they're called, to ward off possibly dangerous allergic response.

[Richard Stanley]

Jodi, FWIW, A moisture meter is / will be one of your most valuable tools. I use an infrared camera (2 years) and would not want to be without it. Even with that, you still have to verify what you think you find. If you think you see moisture, you still have to use a meter or maybe just your touch sense. The camera helps you discover the possibility much faster - you can scan a whole room in a few seconds. FYI, The meter I use is the Tramex moisture encounter plus. It is pinless. You must be cognizant of its readings also - it can double as a metal detector. Since you said you had read a lot about the cameras, I suspect you already know this.

To your first question - If it is wet, it is active - maybe. What is wet? Check the area in the vicinity that appear to be dry. What is the moisture % on those areas? If the stained area is a higher %than the surrounding area, It is probably active or has been recently. Even a so called dry area will be approximately 6 - 8 % moisture content. By the same token, stained areas may be 'dry'. ie; old repaired leaks that were not re-painted. Back to the IR camera, it will distinguish those areas instantly. It will also disclose moisture where there is not any indication to the naked eye. Enough.

mcp

[kurt]

Baseline, you gotta have the machinery, and know how to use it.

No one's going to listen to you without devices backing up your statements.