RWS
Roof & Wall
Moisture Scanner
NON-DESTRUCTIVE
MOISTURE DETECTION
FOR
BUILT-UP &
SINGLE PLY ROOFS
AND
EXTERIOR
INSULATION
FINISHING SYSTEMS
(EIFS)
User
Guide
RWSUG01/05
Page 1: ...RWS Roof Wall Moisture Scanner NON DESTRUCTIVE MOISTURE DETECTION FOR BUILT UP SINGLE PLY ROOFS AND EXTERIOR INSULATION FINISHING SYSTEMS EIFS User Guide RWSUG01 05 ...
Page 2: ...Digital resistance meter with probes tests deep into wood COMPACT MOISTURE METER Economical pin type resistance meter for wood WOOD MOISTURE ENCOUNTER Non destructive testing of wood and wood products CONCRETE ENCOUNTER CME 4 Non destructive moisture meter for concrete floors CRH FLOORING METER State of the art non destructive testing and recording of moisture content and relative humidity in conc...
Page 3: ... Moisture Back To Source In EIFS Or Similar Construction 11 Fig 4 Professional Pin Meter With Deep Wall Probe 11 Conducting A Moisture Survey 12 In Roof Mode 12 Conducting A Roof Survey 12 Procedure 12 Fig 5 Roof Grid Sketch 13 Tracing A Leak And Checking Suspected Trouble Areas 13 Fig 6 Tracing and Marking a Leak on your Roof 14 Types Of Roofing Structures And Their More Common Problems 14 Possib...
Page 4: ...e for excess moisture In the EIFS mode the RWS can also be used on foamed over roofing systems For those familiar with Tramex moisture meters the RWS incorporates two of Tramex s well known mois ture scanners with additional features and benefits in one instrument These are the Leak Seeker for Roofing moisture detection and Wet Wall Detector for Wall EIFS moisture detection To get maximum benefit ...
Page 5: ...uilt up and sin gle ply roofing systems Each of these measurement modes incorporates two sensitivities which are activated by pressing the RANGE switch Yellow LED for lower sensitivity and lower penetra tion Red LED for higher sensitivity and deeper pene tration How It Works The R W S is an electronic instrument powered by one 9volt PP3 or similar battery It operates on the princi pal of electrica...
Page 6: ...attery strength by depressing BATTERY check switch The needle on the analog dial should go past the BATTERY line on the dial If not change the battery Set the sen sitivity dial to 10 place your hand on the base of the instrument making contact with both electrodes a full scale reading of 100 should be obtained irrespective of which mode or range is selected See Figure 1 for graphic illustration of...
Page 7: ...incorrectly positioned or loose battery could affect the readings OPERATION MODES EIFS MODE For exterior insulation and finish system EIFS and similar types of construction cladding non metalic or foam over roof insulation systems the RWS is equipped to detect moisture present in the lamina insu lation or in the substrate behind or under the insulation and assists in tracing leaks back to source R...
Page 8: ...lation HIGHER PENETRATION RANGE Red LED inset in range switch will light is for use on systems with greater than 1 25mm thickness of insulation 4 Hold the RWS by the grab handle and place it so that electrode is in full and firm contact with the surface over a known dry area Adjust the sen sitivity control knob until the needle is just above zero on the analog meter NOTE On a laboratory mock up on...
Page 9: ... as described above You can then double check with a Compact or a Professional to con firm a dry area Having calibrated zeroed on a dry area now proceed with the moisture survey by moving the RWS across the surface making sure that electrodes are making full and firm contact with the surface Partial contact may result in reduced readings Also ensure that you are holding the RWS firmly by its handl...
Page 10: ...te The above chart was the result of tests con ducted on a simulated wall construction as described above and is for guidance purposes only Readings from the RWS are qualitative not quantitative and should be used for comparative purposes only As EIFS systems construction sites environmental and geographical conditions vary results and readings will vary also It is recommended that when carrying o...
Page 11: ...n down the SENSITIVITY knob until the needle points to approximately half scale approx 50 On this setting take further readings around the area note the highest reading and follow in the direction of the highest reading If necessary decrease sensitivity until the area of greatest moisture has been located Usually the greatest moisture concentration is in the proximity of the area where the moistur...
Page 12: ... in range switch will light is more sensitive and will read through heavier membranes as well as most dry gravel or ballast roof coverings If satisfactory readings cannot be achieved through ballast remove same and work directly on the surface of the waterproof ing material Procedure 1 Make a sketch of the roof indicating openings and protrusions etc 2 Select a convenient grid span e g 6ft 2 meter...
Page 13: ... plies of the waterproofing layers after taking a test cut as mois ture may be present between the plies or within the fibre of the felt 7 Areas of elevated moisture can be quantity checked with a probe type moisture meter such as the Compact pin type meter with deep wall insulated probes Tracing A Leak And Checking Suspected Trouble Areas If for instance a leak has been noticed in a built up roof...
Page 14: ...e or Comparative indicating a greater or lesser signal It is not an indicator of percentage moisture content As a guide approximately 20 moisture in wood fibreboard directly under 3mm 1 8 membrane will give full scale deflection on Roof mode on the YELLOW sensitivity range Many types of insulation currently available can contain up to 200 moisture by weight while others can hold no more that 50 If...
Page 15: ...pinholes bird damage and faulty seams during construction Moisture Survey Checklist Recording the following information will assist you in completing a comprehensive moisture survey a Building Name and Number b Date of Survey c Name of Surveyor d Visual Inspection of all Detail Work and Flashings around doors windows openings etc e Visual Inspection of Windows Doors Penetrations Roof Lights Openin...
Page 16: ...na varies from that at where the RWS was zeroed read ings may be affected It may be necessary to com pensate for these differences in coatings or insula tion specifications At temperatures below 40 F 4 C the RWS may not function efficiently due to the possibility of moisture turning to ice Readings at lower temperatures tend to be lower than those at higher temperatures and vice versa Maintenance ...
Page 17: ...on with the sale of this product including arising out of breach of contract tort misrepresentation or arising from statute or indem nity Without prejudice to the above all other warranties representations and conditions whether made orally or implied by circumstances custom contract equity statute or common law are hereby excluded including all terms implied by Section 13 14 and 15 of the Sale of...
Page 18: ... R W S User Guide ...
Page 19: ...in Ireland Tel 353 1 282 3688 Fax 353 1 282 7880 Email sales tramex ie Web Site www tramex ie USA Tramex C O Black Hawk Sales Inc 28 Pin Oak Drive Littleton CO 80127 Tel 303 972 7926 Fax 303 972 7106 Email dennisw tramexltd com Web Site www tramexltd com ...
