Moisture content

More estimating & workflow terms

• Mechanics lien

  A payment claim a contractor, subcontractor or supplier can file against a property when they have not been paid for work or materials. The lien attaches to the property itself, even after the insurer has paid the claim. Deadlines, required notices and who must be paid differ from state to state, so the paperwork has to follow that state's rules.

• Mitigation technician

  The field tech who performs emergency work after a loss, such as extracting water, setting drying equipment, tarping a roof, or boarding a window. Their readings and photos are the evidence an adjuster uses to pay the mitigation invoice, so the documentation matters as much as the work.

• Moisture mapping

  Tracing where water has travelled inside walls, ceilings and floors with a moisture meter, a thermal camera, or both, and marking the wet areas on a sketch. It is one main input to that decision - removal also turns on the water category and contamination.

• Moisture meter

  A handheld tool that measures water in building materials, either by pins driven into the surface or by a non-invasive sensor pressed against it. Adjusters expect meter readings with the location, material, and dry standard noted, because the readings are what justify drying equipment on the claim.

• Mold remediation

  Removing mold growth and fixing the moisture source that feeds it, rather than wiping the surface clean. US restoration work normally follows the IICRC S520 mold standard for containment, removal and clearance checks, and clearance is usually confirmed by an independent third party.

• Negative air pressure

  Setting up containment with an air scrubber so air is pulled from the work area through a HEPA filter and exhausted, leaving the work area at lower pressure than the rooms around it. That keeps dust and mold spores inside the plastic during demolition and mold work.

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