That 'mold in rental units' scare from the inspector turned out to be a humidity meter error

My inspector in Austin swore the readings were 85% for 3 days straight and quoted me $2k for remediation, but I borrowed a second meter from a tenant and it showed 45% the whole time. Has anyone else caught a faulty tool driving a whole claim like that, or was this guy just covering for a bad calibration?

2 comments

2 Comments

corah7515d ago

Austin humidity runs 60-80% most summers anyway, so a 45% reading on a borrowed meter might be the one that's off. I'd grab a third meter or check the calibration method on both before trusting either one. Otherwise you're just picking the answer you like better, not the real one.

ward.anna15d ago

Wait, 45%? That's a full 20% below their normal range, are you serious? I mean, 60-80% is basically swamp weather, I can't imagine walking into a house that reads 45% in Austin in July without my skin instantly cracking. That's a huge gap, not some tiny calibration wobble. Something's definitely messed up with that borrowed meter, or the person was testing it in a weird spot, like right next to a vent or a dehumidifier. You're totally right about needing a third one though, because trusting the weird reading just because it says what you want to hear is how people end up with moldy drywall and a headache.