What is Thermography
Thermography is the use of an infrared imaging and measurement camera to "see" and "measure" thermal energy emitted from an object. Thermal, or infrared energy is light that is not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye; it's the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as heat. Unlike visible light, in the infrared world, everything with a temperature above absolute zero or zero Kelvin emits heat. Even very cold objects, like ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted. Infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot. Infrared Thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities. Infrared cameras are an extremely cost-effective and valuable diagnostic tools in many diverse applications. Infrared technology is the next step forward in home inspection and building diagnostics.
What can infrared do for my home or commercial building?
Moisture detection: If it is wet we can see it. Moisture problems can go undetected if no visible signs are present. The longer the problem exist the more damage it can do. When moisture related issues are found we can pinpoint the extent of the moisture in the infrared and better evaluate the extent of the problem in-turn eliminating unnecessary demolition, lowering repair cost and saving you time and money.
Insulation: Are the walls in your home properly insulated? Are you sure? By reading the thermal patterns of an insulated exterior wall we can know for sure. When properly insulated, surface temperatures on the interior of the exterior walls should be relative to the indoor ambient temperature. If insulation is missing the wall will have a thermal pattern reveling the area of missing insulation. No insulation allows the cold or heat, depending on the season to pass through the exterior wall. As the heat or cold from the exterior passes through it changes the temperature in the wall cavity missing any insulation. This is what affects the temperature of the drywall on the interior side of the wall. This temperature difference will be seen with the infrared camera as a hot or cold spot compared to the rest of the properly insulated wall. Knowing if and where any insulation is missing can be corrected improving the energy efficiency of the home and reduce utility cost.
Air infiltration: Do you feel drafts or have areas of your home that are never comfortable? Depending on the age of the structure and the builder’s building practices air infiltration can be costing you more than you think. By allowing unconditioned air to enter the structure or conditioned air to escape the building envelope, your HVAC systems must work harder to compensate for the loss to maintain your comfort level. Working harder and running more often increases utility bills and ware & tare on the system. Just think if the furnace has to run 20% more than it had to. That’s a 20% increase in ware and tear on the system that could lead to a 20% decrease in the life expectancy of the system. And you still feel the drafts and are uncomfortable while paying 20% more than you had to. With the infrared camera we can identify these areas. The thermal patterns of this air movement will affect the areas around them and stand out. Once you know where the drafting and air loss is occurring you can stop it and really improve the efficiencies and comfort level of the home.
HVAC systems: From the smallest single-family home to the largest commercial complex air conditioning is a large expense in maintaining a comfort level suitable for living and working. A common area for problems is the HVAC ductwork system and its air tightness. How the ducting systems delivers conditioned air throughout the structure is crucial to the system’s efficiency. Even the highest rated HVAC system is useless without a well-sealed ducting system. Air leaks and poor or deteriorated insulation reduces the efficiencies of the system. Since we couldn’t see air movement prior to infrared, we had to feel the air movement to detect it. Manually checking every connection, fitting and seam of the HVAC ductwork system is a time consuming job, only increasing with the size of the system. Now with infrared technology we can see the thermal pattern of this air loss or gain and where it is leaking. And we can scan the entire ductwork system in minutes where it used to take hours. Scanning for air leaks and poor insulation are two of many issues that can arise in a system like this. Moisture from condensation can build up or collecting in areas where it can deteriorate the system. These areas not visible during a visible inspection of the system can be missed. A missed moisture issue in a warm air delivery system can allow an environment conducive for mold growth. During an infrared inspection it can be discovered before prominent damage or infestation can occur. Resources spent preventing problems rather than damage control after a failure are resources well spent.
Flat Roof systems: Another great use for infrared is detecting that illusive flat roof leak. You know the one, forth time the roves been repair in 5 years and of all the leaks it’s the most inconvenient that never gets fixed. The main aisle way of your warehouse is a lake, the bucket in the front lobby your customers trip over. And worst of all the new leaks from incompetent roofers and poor workmanship. With infrared we can show where the water is under the roofing. If you know where the water is you can fix the problem. Water takes the least restrictive path to the ground by gravity. A roofer can attempt to fix the apparent location of a leak but unknown to him it is coming from the opposite side of the roof. The actual leak you see inside is where the path ends, the last layer of roofing. This is why some leaks continue to leak after repairs. The thermal properties of H2O (water) allow the water to retain heat very well. And you’ve experienced this first hand. Remember the last time you went skinny dripping at night in your swimming pool or a lake with a loved one? The water was warmer than the night air because the water retains the heat from the day’s sun. With that property we can see the moisture under the roofing in the infrared. The water will retain the heat energy from the day’s sun well after the sun has gone down. The roofing materials will cool much faster than any moisture present in the area and generate a corresponding thermal pattern. These thermal patterns can be identified throughout the roof surface. Knowing where all the water is improves the chances that all the leaks can be fixed the next time you call the roofer out.
Mold Remediation/Restoration: Knowing where the moisture is and when it’s completely dry can save you time and money. Areas not completely dry can allow mold to reappear delaying completion and final approval from testing. Spending time drying areas that are dry waste time, money and energy. An infrared inspection program of the property to locate all the moisture and confirm the moisture is gone will make your operation run more efficiently. Allowing you to reduce your cost but not reduce your profits. For a homeowner or building maintenance director, if you have a mold related problem you’re experiencing. The cost to remedy a moderate mold problem can cost thousands and the losses in downtime for business increase with the hour. The remediation then the remodeling time displacing you out of the home to remove the mold can be lengthy. Just to have it return and repeat itself all over again if not done right the first time. With an infrared inspection at predetermined times during the repair can increase the chances of getting it corrected the first time. It really is a very small price to pay compared to cost to never have to say, “What more could have been done?” should it return.
