Detectors & Testers

Before you start any DIY job, it's crucial to check the area for potential hazards and faults. This not only ensures your safety during the task and helps to prevent accidents later down the line, but can improve the quality of the job too. This is where detectors and testers come into play, enabling you to properly survey the area and check for things like gas leaks, moisture and live wires. For example, the voltage testers we stock can locate electrical voltages in cables, sockets and fuses, as well as find breaks in wires and cables. While the gas detectors we sell can detect gases including methane, propane, butane, ethanol, ammonia and hydrogen. We don't need to impress just how important testing for these things can be. Here at Building Materials, we also stock moisture detectors that use the principle of electrical resistance to see whether there's moisture in materials including aerated concrete, wood, chalky sandstone, concrete and gypsum plaster. This is essential for many DIY jobs, as a high moisture content can seriously compromise a material and in turn a building's structure. Other types of detectors we sell include stud detectors and heat detectors.