jay wrote:

I received an estimate today from a waterproof company regarding a moisture
seepage issue, and one of the things this person did was bring a hand-held
"water detector" with two metal prongs. He pressed the prongs of the device
against the cinderblocks and it started making beeping noises to indicate
that there is currently "water in the wall". Is this device a gimmick or is
it a legitimate means of determining that a wall "has water in it." When I
tried the device on a rock, which was obviously dry, the device did not go
off. Likely the device was detecting some moisture but I suspect that is
programmed to be hyper-sensitive to any degree of moisture.

Granted, I don't doubt that my wall has a moisture seepage issue during
rainy weather (or possibly if the sprinklers were on that day). I'm just
wondering if the device itself has any real value in determining the extent
of the problem, or is this just a "stage prop" for them to be able to say
"AHA, you do, in fact have a problem here, because this device says so".

J.



It's a legit tool. Many home inspectors carry them
to locate dampness sources in drywall, concrete, wood, etc.

http://testproducts.com/safecart/ind...?source=Google
for some varieties.

Interpreting results in a concrete block wall
can be tricky since almost all basement walls will
have some moisture.

Jim