Water Intrusion Testing by Building Leak Detection Company, An Experienced Rain Leak Expert Service
Are you experiencing water intrusion problems in your business or home? You may suspect a leak from an area in your home but are not quite sure why that moisture is there. You’re probably not sure what kind of company deals with such a task. Testing for water intrusion is a super difficult task. Finding rain leaks or other types of water penetration requires a company that is experienced, works to specific standards and uses specialized equipment. There aren’t many companies like this around so it’s a good thing you landed on this page because Building Leak Detection Company fits the description perfectly and beyond.
Inspection of the Suspected Water Leak Area Should Take Place Before Any Testing Happens
Building Leak Detection Company of Los Angeles uses their experience and knowledge to investigate the area just as a detective would at a crime scene. As a homeowner or commercial building owner I’m sure you don’t want your structure torn apart in order to find where the water is coming in. This is called non-intrusive testing and is always the first choice. When a house or building shows signs of water intrusion on walls or the ceiling, around windows or doors, an infrared camera can be used to take thermographic photos of the area in suspect. This means that the special infrared camera uses differences in temperature to show that moisture is present. You can see this by the different colors for temperature ranges that show up. It is super colorful, pretty and of course, informational.
The colors that represent the range in temperature are set by the professional thermographer. Usually the darker colors display the colder spots or in other words, the wet areas. Our experienced rain leak detective checks this area with a hand held moisture meter device. There are two types. One type is pinless, which is smooth and is placed on the surface. A little window or screen shows the percentage of moisture detected. The other type of moisture meter is more reliable than the pinless type. It is a probe and has small prongs that are inserted into wood or drywall and also have a digital display. Once the area where the water present is found, the next step is for the Building Leak Detection professional is to figure out which type of test should be given. In other words, we need to find out where the water is coming from.
Testing for Water Leaks with Standardized or Non-Standardized Methods
You are calling Building Leak Detection Company because of their expertise and knowledge in the field of forensic testing. This means a water leak professional is investigating an area thoroughly step by step to figure out how the water is getting into the structure. Specific types of tests are better for one area or circumstance. There are two types of tests that can be used, Standardized or Non-standardized. Building Leak Detection Company performs these types of tests on walls, doors, windows, decks and roofs.
There are certain tests that are called standardized. These tests have special conditions and steps that have to be made so that no matter what water leak testing company gives the test, the results should be the same if the directions were followed properly. Professional organizations have published guidelines for the water leak tests. Special equipment such as calibrated spray rack systems and wands are mandatory.
Pressure chambers made with wood and plastic are used to create pressure that brings the water in like rain driven by the wind in a rain storm. The two main organizations are ASTM and AAMA. Information on them can be found on line of course. There are many tests that can be given for various situations. This is where you put your trust in the hands of an experienced company to choose the right one for your water leak. Here are some names of tests that you can research:
- ASTM E311
- ASTME E547
- ASTM E331
- ASTM E1105
- ASTM 5957
- AAMA 501.2
- AAMA 502
- AAMA 51108
The other type of possible testing method is non-standardized. So you are probably asking yourself why would this type of testing be used? Sometimes the area is simple and small. All of the steps and equipment listed in the standardized test would just be too much. It just wouldn’t be necessary to be so complicated. Another reason would. be that the test does not need to be replicated or used for legal purposes. Usually this type of testing is done in residential water intrusion.
Specialized Equipment Used in Water Leak Testing is a Sign of a Professional Building Leak Detection Company
Building Leak Detection Company uses special equipment to do their rain leak testing. A spray rack system is grid made out of metal or plastic. There are special nozzles that spray water at a designated water pressure. The nozzles are calibrated so that they are accurate and this means that the test results will be accurate. A pressure gauge is used to make sure that the correct pressure is being used during a standardized test that calls for specifics. These racks ca be placed against windows, doors and walls. Sometimes, we need to hang them over the side of a building. It is quite a site and gets a lot of attention from people passing by.
Another specialized tool that we use is a spry wand. Spray wands are also calibrated or checked to be sure that they are operating at the right setting. They are use to spray water on specific areas with a specific water pressure.
Vacuum pressure devices are special boxes with hoses sticking out of them. The hoses are inserted into pressure chambers that are made out of plastic. They are installed against windows or doors on the interior of a building. The controls are set to a specific pressure that pulls water in from the outside to test the water tightness of a window or door.
Reporting the Findings of Water Intrusion Tests
In most cases, a written report for the water intrusion testing is written for the client. The report will give all of the information that is important in helping to make recommendations for repair or to report for legal purposes. The testing conditions such as the location, weather conditions and testing method used. Naturally, the result of the water leak test or tests are included. A thorough and professional company will include photos to show necessary steps, especially of the client was not present on the test day.