Probe aids detection of leaks in buildings

Pen-sized probes that measure the moisture content of timber are an Auckland business' initiative to help address the leaky building dilemma.

East Tamaki-based Moisture Detection has installed its Moisture Detection Unit Probes in more than 160 Auckland houses since launching the product commercially in August.

The 90mm probes are inserted permanently into skirting boards in areas most likely to develop leaks such as windows, ranchsliders and parapet caps.

They are then attached to an industry standard moisture monitor for an instant reading of how wet the wood is.

Building inspectors use a similar system, but the company said it was the first time such technology had been available to home owners and the probes were left in place.

Manager Clint Jones said the probes acted like a stethoscope.

"We're saying here's a new way to check the patient [the home] and be early to address problems."

Because homeowners often don't see the evidence of a leak for six to eight months, Jones hopes the probes will act as early warning devices before damage occurs.

The company makes about 10 installations each week.

The price ranges from $800 to $1300 for about 20 probes, a figure Jones compares with repair bills of $180,000 to $300,000 to reclad a home with leak problems.

After installation, the company compiles a report of the readings that can be updated with revisits.

"It's a bit like an AA report or service record of a car," he said.

The company says its key markets are home owners with leak problems or those looking for peace of mind, and builders who may want to install the probes in new homes to reassure clients.

Moisture Detection is also doing code of compliance work for the Auckland City Council.

One major Auckland maintenance company has become an accredited installer of the product.

The probes were developed by Bryan Holyoake as part of research into moisture measurement in walls in the final year of his engineering degree at the University of Auckland.

Last year, his expertise was snapped up by the newly formed Moisture Detection, which has since commercialised the research.

Jones, a major shareholder in the company, joined with the managing director of cladding system manufacturer Hitex Plastering, Ian Holyoake, for the venture.

Ian Holyoake, who is Bryan Holyoake's uncle, remains as a shareholder in the business.

Bryan Holyoake and Jones are part of a team of three installing and marketing the probes, which they believe have huge export potential.

Canada is one place they will be targeting, a country that has had 10 years of leaky building problems.

The pair are bringing Canadians Dr John Straube, a professor at the department of civil engineering and school of architecture at the University of Waterloo, and Dr Joseph Lstiburek, a forensic engineer and author who investigates building failures, to a leaky building symposium in July.

The symposium will hosted by the University of Auckland and key players in the building industry have also been invited.