Thermographers can help homeowners save thousands of dollars by finding hidden defects behind the walls, ceilings and floors of their homes.
A Thermographer uses an infrared thermal imaging camera, technology that was developed for the military. The camera acts like an “X-Ray” machine searching behind the building surfaces for problems. In reality it does not “see” into anything but rather detects the transfer of heat through materials.
It is the difference in surface temperature that reveals problems. Thermal patterns, or anomalies, can indicate water damage (mold), missing insulation, energy loss, electrical and duct work problems.
Another important service provided for homeowners and Realtors are Home Warranty inspections. A Thermal scan can find building defects that are not visible to the naked eye. Home builders are responsible to correct latent defects in their homes for many years, much longer than the standard new home warranty! Most homeowners are unaware the homes builder is obligated for this length of time.
High end homes, as well as commercial buildings, are increasingly being scanned for insurance underwriting purposes. A Thermal scan can find potential problems with electrical services, building equipment and appliances as well as the building envelope itself.
There are three major reasons Thermal scans are so useful in building applications.
1. They are NON-contact/NON-destructive – that is, the process is completely hands off, there is no damage to the building or its components.
2. Thermal scans are two dimensional – we capture an image, we can measure and compare areas of the object and pinpoint problem areas. We capture thermal photographs and even video for analysis.
3. Thermal scans are real time – this allows very fast scanning of stationary and even moving objects, with instant analysis of the thermal patterns. A modern Infrared Camera in the hands of a Trained Certified Thermographer can save homeowners thousands of dollars, find water problems, energy loss areas, overheated equipment and warranty issues.
