Patent ID: 7956760

Claim:
A moisture sensing pad for monitoring water intrusion into an area, comprising: a first flexible, electrically-conductive wire, said wire having a first edge and a laterally-opposite, second edge; a second flexible, electrically-conductive wire disposed below and parallel to the first wire, said wire having a first edge and a laterally-opposite, second edge; a nonconductive, water-permeable upper layer that overlies the wires and becomes conductive when wet, said upper layer having laterally opposite outer margins; a nonconductive, water-permeable lower layer that underlies the wires and becomes conductive when wet, said lower layer having laterally opposite outer margins; a water-permeable, nonconducting middle layer disposed intermediate the first and second wires that becomes conductive when wet, said middle layer having outer margins that extend laterally, slightly beyond the laterally opposite outer margins of the water-permeable upper and lower layers in order to facilitate direct contact with water intruding into the area being monitored; a means for attaching the upper, lower and middle layers to one another, said means extending around the entire periphery of the pad; a protective cover comprised of one or more of plastic, natural rubber, synthetic rubber or nylon that overlies the upper layer, said cover having a plurality of apertures to permit any liquid that may collect on an upper surface of the cover to trickle down onto the layers of the pad below; a water-absorbent layer underneath the lower layer; and a water-impermeable base sheet underneath the absorbent layer; wherein the ratio of the lateral extent of the pad to the longitudinal extent of the pad is in the ratio 0.2 to 5, and the middle layer extends away from the first edges of the wires in a first lateral direction to form a wicking margin capable of wicking moisture toward the wires and extends away from the second edges of the wires in a second, opposite lateral direction to form an attachment margin by which the pad may be attached to a baseboard, floor or other surface in the vicinity of which it is desired to detect the presence of moisture.