In this blog post, I’ll tell you about the day-to-day work of Vertia’s moisture surveyors. I interviewed Teemu Kuparinen and Jalmari Saarinen, who conduct moisture surveys for water damage at new construction and renovation sites.
Teemu and Jallu start their day at the office. They grab cups of coffee from the kitchen and go over the day’s assignments. Today, there are five sites to survey. Usually, there are 2–5 sites per day, with a few new ones each week and follow-ups on ongoing projects. The number of surveys also depends on the season and the stage of construction at the sites. The forces of nature can be unpredictable, as strong winds can sometimes cause water to flow upward and into the sites. Weather protection is excellent, but care must also be taken to ensure that the wind does not tear it off the scaffolding. When water freezes in the structures and thaws during mild weather, the structures can break, as ice expands before it begins to melt.
One of today’s jobs is at a new construction site where the radiator pipe connections have failed after the heat was turned on. This can also happen after the flooring has already been installed. The site is surveyed using a moisture meter, the necessary areas are stripped, and dehumidifiers are installed. After drying, the concrete surfaces (floors and walls) are tested using the drill-hole or sample-piece method. Once the results indicate that the surfaces are dry, they can be sealed, and the necessary materials are installed.
The week also includes one night job. The site in question is a public space where they need to drill holes in the hollow sections, so Teemu and Jalmari decide to do the job at night so as not to disturb the people using the facility. Water trapped in the cavity elements is removed by drilling holes through the element into the cavities. The water is drained out, and after that, a drying system can be installed in the cavities.
Surveying renovation sites is challenging. Pipe diagrams are not always available for these sites, or the pipes have not been laid out as shown in the drawings. Consequently, pipes may break during the demolition phase. Organic materials have also been widely used as insulation in renovation projects. If organic material remains wet for a long time and conditions are otherwise favorable, the likelihood of mold growth is high.
The day-to-day work of surveying isn’t just about measuring and recording data; it also involves research, analysis, and reporting, as well as equipment maintenance. Every day is different. Construction sites are always kept up to date so that all parties are aware of what is happening. Surveyors strive to be unobtrusive, even when large-scale drying operations are underway at sites, as the construction site must continue to operate in the areas that are not being dried.
In closing, as Teemu and Jallu put it: We invest in our equipment and calibrate our measuring devices. We do not take dirty or malfunctioning equipment to the job site, and we do not just deliver the equipment—we also install it with care. We keep the customer informed of what is happening at all times. Communication is especially important if residents have had to temporarily move out of their homes, even if it is just for the drying process. We also take pets into consideration, as many animals are easily frightened. During the drying process, the air becomes dry and temperatures rise inside the apartments. We carry out our work in a way that ensures schedules are suitable for all parties involved.
We've had our coffee and gone over the day's plans. Now it's time to hit the road and head to today's gigs.
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