b'Technicaland the result is automatically converted into a moisture content reading. Roofing contractors can use the NIRmeters on anything where measuring surface moisture is important, says Bogart.MaMor Roofing and Structural DamageIf powerful winds, downed trees, or major flooding have caused extensive roofing and structural issues, chances are the home or facility has been exposed to a significant amount Kett+M\x18\x16\x13\x1dThesepoint-and- K ett K J T 1 3 0 : T hese new tools areof water from rain, flash floods, or storm surge.measureunits can be used at the now helping to speed restorationWhenstructuresarerippedopenorflooded,itis disaster recovery Mobsite whereverand improve building q uality.moisture is a problem. important to discover the extent of the damage: Just how cause serious roofing damage and require substantial repairsfar did the water creep into the structure? Is only one area to homes as well as commercial and industrial facilities. of the structure affected? What needs to be replaced?Whether the damage is visible or not, a powerful stormIf the building has incurred major roofing and structural or hurricane can loosen shingles enough to allow water todamage, the best way to discover what is salvageable is to creep in and rot the structure of a structure from the topcheck what is dry and intact. A moisture meter will provide down. A roofing contractors visual inspection of the roof canmany of these answers.quickly assess any preliminary damage. But as they makeF irenecessary repairs after a major storm, they will also want toExtinguishing a fire can require using large volumes of quickly discover any moisture seeping in before it causeswater which can prove to be just as destructive to a structure too much damage. as the fire itself. So, on first inspection it can be helpful for R oofs are especially susceptible to wind damage froma roofing restoration contractor to use a universal moisture storms and hurricanes at the corners, perimeters, and joints.meter or a NIRmeter to determine the extent of water A thorough investigation of these areas, along with the areasdamage in plain view and behind the scenes.surrounding any loose or damaged shingles, are all greatIs the roof substrate too water damaged to salvage? places to begin locating damage that can allow water toWood that has been exposed to water and flooding can seep in. be susceptible to dry rot. So, using a wood moisture tester A roofing contractor can use a moisture meter to learnto check that wood has properly dried can prevent losing whether or not water is working its way through a roof thatstructural integrity as a result of dry rot. has been compromised by gale-force winds and heavy rain,While initial assessment may be the primary focus of says Bogart. moisture measurement for disaster recovery, it can also be Forexample,oneportablemoisturemeterthatinvaluable during the rebuild process as well.contractors have found to be effective to instantly check aA moisture meter is good to use not only for assessment roof for water damage is Kett s HI520-02, which can measurebut also throughout the entire roofing and rebuild process through shingles and deep into the sublayers to evaluateas well since it helps contractors monitor moisture levels roof sheathing for moisture.along the way to document building quality and compliance, Efficiently Inspecting Roofing Materials concludes Bogart.To efficiently inspect the widest range of roofing materials,For more info, contact Kett: call 800-438-5388;email Bogart recommends that contractors use moisture meterssupport@ kett.com;or visit www.kett.com.that utilize Near-Infrared (NIR ) light. NIRlight is a highly accurate, non-contact secondary measurement method that can deliver immediate, laboratory quality moisture readings.NIRmoisture meters follow the principle that water absorbs certain wavelengths of light. The meter reflects light off the sample, measures how much light has been absorbed, www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 31'