Roof-Infrared-Inspections

Infrared thermal imaging is a proven method to find wet insulation in flat roofs and moisture in building walls. An infrared roof moisture survey can locate and document how much of your roof contains moisture. Depending on the amount of saturation found during the infrared roof survey, you may be able to make roof repairs surgically by removing only the wet areas and without the expense of replacing the entire roof. It is also possible that the thermal inspection will reveal extensive saturation, encompassing large areas of the roof, confirming and justifying the cost of a full replacement. The data from an infrared inspection will allow you and your roofing expert to make an informed repair/replace decision.

Thermographic roof inspection should be used on a periodic basis to monitor the condition of a roof so small issues can be repaired now, preventing them from becoming larger roof problems in the future. Roof thermography can be used as a quality control inspection for new roofs and to access the condition of a roof. Infrared roof inspections can provide valuable information about the roof prior to the sale or purchase of a building, negotiating a new lease or to establish the condition of the roof prior to a lease termination.

Infrared flat roof moisture inspection is a diagnostic tool available to property managers and building owners which provides them the hard data necessary for making objective, information backed roof maintenance decisions. These decisions can support the development of more intelligent and cost effective roof asset management programs.

If your roofer or tenants tell you that you have roof leaks and your roof needs replacing, CALL US FIRST! Roof infrared thermal imaging is a proven method of finding trapped water in roofing systems. Using infrared thermal imaging, we locate the moisture and mark the wet areas with marking paint. You can then surgically repair the roof and extend the life of your roofing system. Your results would be saving a substantial amount of money and extending the lifespan of your roof. All our surveys are in accordance to ASTM CC1153 "Standard Practice for Location of Wet Insulation in Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging".

Our Process:
We use the sun to heat up the roof materials. As the sun rises and radiates onto the roof, wet materials (having higher thermal mass) warm up slower than dry materials with a lower thermal mass. At night however, wet materials cool off slower than dry materials therefore thermal imaging can be performed during this time of uneven heating between the wet and dry. The temperature difference between the warmer wet and cooler dry materials is what the imager sees. Under the right conditions, the temperature difference will remain visible for several hours allowing the thermographer adequate time to complete the inspection.

For this type of infrared inspection process to be successful, it is important to have an absorbent layer of material layer such as some insulations, foams or wood based boards under the waterproofing membrane or between the wall panels to hold the trapped moisture, which in turn holds the heat. Roofs without an absorbent layer of material are not good candidates for an infrared survey.