Certified Thermal Imaging

Thermal Imaging or Infrared Cameras can be an invaluable tool during a home inspection that can save the home inspector time and consequently the home buyer money.

The infrared camera can be used to detect:

• Insulation deficiencies
  • Missing Insulation
  • Insufficient/Reduced insulation performance
• Air Infiltration and exfiltration
  • Air flow around doors, windows and attic hatches
• Moisture impregnated materials
  • Roofing or wall materials that have "below surface" moisture accumulation
  • Materials that are "wet" at the surface (evaporation of the moisture)
• Loss of gas materials in high efficient windows
  • Under "normal" conditions, windows have a reflective nature to the longwave infrared cameras that are normally used for home inspection
• Presence of insects and other vermin
  • It is not the individual insect that will be detected, but rather the nest or large accumulation of a large number of them
  • A larger animal can be detected if it is leaning against the wall and its body heat conducts through the wall material
• Electrical hazards
  • Over loaded circuits can be easily detected with an infrared camera
  • Other unsafe situations, such as poor connections
• Poor workmanship issues
  • The infrared camera can, in certain circumstances, can find issues when an installation has not been carried out correctly

How can the Thermal Imaging Camera "see" these issues?Top

The Thermal Imaging camera does not detect temperature, rather it detects infrared energy that is emitted, reflected and possibly transmitted from/through a surface. Normally, a temperature difference is required to produce various levels of energy that the camera "sees". This difference in heat flow, as displayed by the thermal imaging camera can be interpreted to monitor a particular condition of an object or assembly. The physical change of state of water (evaporation) will cool the surface allowing the thermal imaging camera to detect his situation.