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Thermal Imaging Inspection 
The infrared camera has added a new dimension to the services I offer. Infrared is a nonvisible light that is used to measure very small variations in temperature on building surfaces, and is an invaluable tool in searching out hidden problems such as water intrusion, energy loss, and insulation issues.  
The image on the left is a digital picture of a room corner of two exterior walls next to a window. The exterior temperature was approximately 50 degrees. The image on the right is the thermal image of that same corner. The infrared camera is seeing non-visible light that is expressed as temperature. The orange on the left is the infrared image (temperature) of the curtains on the window. Note the temperature is approximately the room temperature of 69 degrees. The darker panel next to the window is a stud bay in the framing, and should contain insulation being an exterior wall. The purple in this image indicates a cooler temperature of 64 degrees. This suggests the lack of proper insulation, and will need to be invesigated further. Compare this to the red color on the right wall that is much warmer. This was also an exterior wall stud bay. Upon further investigation, the suspect stud bay in fact had no insulation. When this older home had insulation added this stud bay was missed completely.
This image is an example of how the infrared camera is useful in locating water intrusion. This ceiling appeared dry to the eye, however the camera saw the difference in temperature the damp material presented. Further investigation revealed a gutter leak into the soffit on that corner of the home. Catching this problem at an early stage saved the homeowner a much costlier repair if left until visible damage occurred.
  The picture on the left is on the exterior of a new home. The outside temperature was about 10 degrees. The area above this porch is a bedroom and a bathroom. The thermal image on the right clearly shows a dramatic temperature differential from the left side of the porch ceiling in orange and yellow to the right side that is purple to near black. If you will notice there are distinct rectangular lines separating the colors. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the builder failed to install insulation batts in the areas showing orange and yellow. The infrared camera is actually seeing the indoor bedroom temperature escaping through the uninsulated floor. The problem was so severe the bathroom plumbing was freezing solid.  |