Thermal Inspection

WHAT INFRARED IMAGING REVEALS DURING INSPECTIONS

There are a lot of things that can be happening in a home we simply cannot see with the naked eye and a high-powered flashlight. Thermal imaging brings these deficiencies to light in living color, greatly reducing damage and repair costs associated with issues that otherwise most likely would not be caught until it was too late and the damage was done. We can help to pinpoint troublesome issues without the need for invasive or destructive investigations. Our home inspectors are trained to ‘see’ what other home inspectors can’t. Infrared inspections are increasingly requested for residential applications. Some of the more common Infrared Thermal Imaging Home Inspections applications include:

Water and moisture intrusion inspection scans
Electrical system inspection and component scans
Thermal insulation inspection scans
Structural component inspection scans
Building envelope inspection scans
Material defect scans
Air infiltration / Heat loss scans
HVAC component scans
Radiant heating system inspection scans and locating
And much more…

To learn more about what might be out of sight, make sure you request a Thermal Inspection. This is an advanced, non-invasive technology that allows us to show you the things about the home that can’t be revealed to the naked eye.

What can a Thermal Inspection do for me?

WHAT INFRARED IMAGING REVEALS DURING INSPECTIONS

Moisture is a big issue that gets revealed during these inspections which includes hidden sources of mold, roof leaks, and posts that indicate termite nests. Electrical problems are also revealed as well as heat and energy loss, foundation cracks, structural concerns, missing insulation, ventilation glitches and rodent infestations. Let’s go through a couple of typical problems we find with the camera, which can save you a bundle of money.

ROOFING LEAKS

Water will typically give up its heat at a slower rate than its surrounding roofing materials because of its high thermal capacity, so we can see with just one image if any areas have accumulated moisture. This is best done in the evening when the temperature outside begins to fall. The roofing materials will have released their heat showing up blue or purple on the image, while the moisturized materials will still be warm and will show up red or orange on the image. The image on the top right shows a bad leak in winter, showing up blue as the cold infiltrates the warm house.

ELECTRICAL FAULTS

Identifying the source of electrical problems quickly and accurately will add huge value to a home, while preventing injury and property damage. The image will have yellow marks wherever there is damage to electrical systems, making it easy to spot and put on the list of repairs to be done (as you can see in the bottom right image of the light fixture).

STRUCTURAL DEFECTS

When we scan walls, floors and ceilings with the camera we notice differences in temperature and conductivity which tell us about hidden missing structural components and damaged portions of these components. On top of the missing insulation (that you can see in the right most photo below), many houses will show wet basement walls which could be a potential source of mold.

MOISTURE DETECTION IN WALLS AND CEILINGS

As demonstrated above, thermal imaging is a great tool that helps to identifying water damage in walls, floors, and ceilings. By detecting the difference in temperature between a wet area and the surrounding dry areas thermal imaging can help detect moisture issues that would not be visible during a limited visual home inspection. It is also great at identifying areas where the insulation contractor failed to insulate adequately.

PLUMBING INSPECTIONS

Water leaks from the plumbing system often leak undetected until major damage has occurred. We can scan in, under, and around plumbing fixtures in the home to determine if there is active leaking going on. Since this tool is not a moisture meter we will use it to find heat anomalies and then pursue the issue further to attempt to determine the source and cause of the leak.

Thermal image scanning can detect temperature anomalies in the plumbing system not visible to the naked eye which may be a precursor to a larger issue. The resulting Thermal Image Scan report can be a great aid for the repair plumber hired to address the identified issues.

WOOD DESTROYING INSECT ACTIVITY

Significant wood destroying insect activity can be detected using this technology due to the heat generated by active infestations. That’s right, active termite activity produces a great deal of heat that is often visible to the infrared camera. Minor activity may not be detectable but areas not normally visible to the naked eye can be identified, and then a more invasive or technically exhaustive inspection can be carried out by the appropriate professional

FLAT ROOF INSPECTIONS

If you have a leak on a new to mid life flat roof and have been told that a new roof is needed, then call us first. We may be able to save you a substantial amount of money. Thermal imaging can be used to detect the precise location of the leak and mark the affected area so that repairs can be made to the leaking area. Obviously, if the roof is older then you should forego the thermal imaging and invest in the needed new roof.

ELECTRICAL INSPECTION

Abnormal heating associated with high resistance or excessive current flow is the main cause of many problems in electrical systems. Infrared thermography allows us to see these invisible thermal signatures of impending damage before the damage occurs. When current flows through an electric circuit, part of the electrical energy is converted into heat energy. This is normal. But, if there is an abnormally high resistance in the circuit or abnormally high current flow, abnormally high heat is generated which is wasteful, potentially damaging and not normal. Infrared electrical inspections find hot spots caused by defects in connections and components. Infrared thermography is used to find areas of excess heat (caused by increased resistance) so that problems can be corrected before a component fails, causing damage to the component, creating safety hazards and productivity loss. Because increased heating is a sign of failure, infrared is the best diagnostic tool available for finding these hot connections in the early stages of degeneration.

Thermal Inspection

WHAT INFRARED IMAGING REVEALS DURING INSPECTIONS

What can a Thermal Inspection do for me?

WHAT INFRARED IMAGING REVEALS DURING INSPECTIONS

ROOFING LEAKS

ELECTRICAL FAULTS

STRUCTURAL DEFECTS

MOISTURE DETECTION IN WALLS AND CEILINGS

PLUMBING INSPECTIONS

WOOD DESTROYING INSECT ACTIVITY

FLAT ROOF INSPECTIONS

ELECTRICAL INSPECTION

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