How Thermal Imaging Improves Your Home Inspection
Infrared imaging provides important information relating to areas of a residential building that were previously inaccessible. Infrared thermal imaging can locate very very small but important temperature difference in from one area of the structure to another. The differences in temperature are indicated on the infrared camera viewing screen. The image indicates hot or cold areas. These differences in temperature are indicators of problems that will not be visible in a conventional visual home inspection.
Why Use Infrared Thermal Imaging For Your Home Inspection?
The infrared thermal imaging inspection shows more information about the dwelling structure than can be viewed by visual inspection techniques. The thermal imaging will spot problems that go beyond what can be located using a hand held flashlight.
Thermal Imaging Inspection Examples
Water Leakage:
Viewing the interior walls of your home with the thermal imaging camera can find potential moisture damage due to leaking from windows, plumbing and the roof area. Any wet areas in the building will become cool as water evaporates so the infrared thermal imaging camera will indicate a different color to find these moisture spots.
Insulation Issues:
Missing and inadequate insulation appears when inspecting walls and ceilings. This is due to temperature differences as a result of variable thermal energy within the structure.Electrical Defects:
The infrared thermal imaging camera can locate problems in the electrical system. Inadequate connections between electrical components, like wiring connections, produce resistance that shows as a higher temperature reading than the other similar electrical components.
Leaking Roof:
Thermal imaging can find water leakage and moisture that has built up below the roof surface. Because water releases heat at a slower rate than the roofing materials the infrared camera will see these differences in heat as color variations.
Structural Problems:
Damage to walls, ceilings and floors will result in differences in thermal capacity and conductivity that can be detected with the infrared thermal imaging camera.
NOTE:
An infrared thermal imaging inspection does not guarantee 100% accuracy. It is an excellent tool for expanding the capabilities and overall effectiveness of a home inspection and can find problems not seen by a visual inspection. When thermal imaging indicates a problem, we recommend verification of any damage. This may require removing components, such as roofing materials, wall board, ceiling materials, or flooring to visually verify the issue(s).
About Thermography And Infrared Light
Thermography uses infrared imaging and a special camera that will detect and and measure the level of thermal energy that is emitted from objects. Infrared (or thermal) energy, is not visible to the human eye due to extremely long wavelength.
Infrared energy lies in that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that generates heat. In the infrared spectrum all objects give off some heat. Any object with a temperature above absolute zero (-459ยบ Fahrenheit) will emit infrared energy.