We may not always have insight into whether our roofs are in perfect condition. However, there are certain methods to use to detect leaks before damages become too massive and lead to mold growth. In the following article, you will gain insight into a number of manual measurements and automatic moisture monitoring as methods for detecting moisture damage in a timely manner.
According to Insurance and Pension Denmark, 100.000 insurance claims regarding water damage are submitted annually. In the case of private houses, 127.269.000 DKK (17.101.633 EUR) was paid out from insurances to private homeowners for damages due to mold growth and rot, which are consequential water damages.
Analyzes made by Grohe show that 39 % of water damage costs are not covered, and 28 % achieve no coverage at all. This means that in the event of rot due to water damage you have to pay 39.000 DKK of 100.000 DKK (5.000-13.000 EUR) in repair - and this is only if you do not belong to the 25% who are not covered by their insurance.
In addition to this, there are the significant health risks of mold, the frustration of rehousing, and the cost of other consequential damages due to moisture.
As previously stated, there are methods to detect moisture in time. The Danish knowledge center, Bolius, has several articles on how to solve the problem from a technical point of view.
As stated by Bolius, the roof is one of the most important parts when it comes to keeping your home dry. It is also one of the main risk areas when it comes to water damages.
Is your roof not maintained continuously, it can cause serious moisture and water damage. It not only affects the roof itself, but can also lead to massive damage to the rest of the house.
Allowing a leak in the roof to develop can result in the entire roof having to be replaced, which is expensive. A new roof typically costs around 1.000 - 3.000 DKK (130-400 EUR) per m2.
Many of us have houses where it can be cumbersome and expensive to make technical interventions. Here, automatic solutions are the way forward. A key aspect when it comes to automatic solutions is that they not only measure temperature and humidity in the roof, but also measure wood humidity as this is where a leak can be seen first.
At Woodsense, we have developed a battery-driven moisture sensor that can be placed on exposed areas of the roof and wirelessly provide you with an intelligent moisture alarm if a leak should occur. Our sensors provide information on:
Photo credit: Bolius.
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