Thermal imaging inspections give us a peek at what’s happening inside walls and ceilings without having to tear up the property. These inspections use infrared technology to measure radiated heat and create a visual picture.
While not a replacement for a visual home inspection, offering this service is an easy and low-cost add-on. It also helps homeowners save energy and money.
Missing or Inadequate Insulation
Missing insulation is a common problem that can lead to hefty energy bills, as air moves easily through gaps in insulating materials. A thermal imaging inspection can find these areas, which might be hard to see with the naked eye. Homeowners can then make the needed repairs and save money.
Thermal imaging cameras can also be used to scan for other problems, such as leaking water. This can help homeowners prioritize and schedule repairs. It can also help identify electrical concerns that might not be obvious, such as a circuit breaker that is overloaded.
Another way thermal imaging can be useful is by helping to locate rot behind stucco and insulated walls. It can also detect a leaky plumbing system, which will be shown as hot spots on a thermal image.
In addition to missing or inadequate insulation, a thermal imaging inspection can also spot problems with windows and doors, attics, and wall cavities. It can reveal issues with argon gas window seals and can identify whether or not a new home is properly insulated.
Thermal imaging is an extremely powerful tool for a home inspector, but it does have limitations. It cannot see underlying surfaces or obstacles, and environmental conditions can affect the results. Because of this, it is not a replacement for a visual inspection and should be conducted in conjunction with it.
Window and Door Issues
Infrared images allow the inspector to pinpoint areas of air leakage around windows and doors. This allows the client to take steps to fix these issues and reduce energy costs.
Moisture intrusion is another big issue that thermal imaging can help detect. Wet insulation and drywall will harbor heat differently than dry materials and show up as different colors on the thermal image.
Air leaking around a window and/or door frame causes a lot of heat loss which in turn can lead to higher heating bills. Fixing these issues can save a homeowner 10-15% on their energy bill.
When used in conjunction with a blower door, thermal imaging can identify areas where air is escaping through the home’s structure. This can include broken seals on double-paned windows and insulation gaps.
Thermal imaging can also identify areas of moisture intrusion in walls, ceilings and attics. These can be caused by leaking water, condensation, and other conditions. If there are any areas that look significantly different on the thermal image, the inspector will point these out to the client and recommend further inspections or repairs be done.
Attic Issues
It can be hard to know when there is an insulation issue unless you have a thermal imaging inspection. Rising heating bills can be a hint that there is a problem, but the real problem may not be visible until a home inspector uses a thermal imaging camera.
A thermal imaging camera is a valuable tool that can help home inspectors identify issues with insulation, air flow and HVAC equipment, radiant heating malfunctions, moisture problems and more. A thermal imaging camera can help find hidden moisture in walls and ceilings by detecting the difference in temperature between wet areas and the surrounding dry areas of the structure.
Infrared imaging can also show if there is a leaking roof or a problem with the shingles. Leaking roofs will show up as cold spots on a thermal image, while shingle damage will appear as warm spots. In both cases, the resulting damage can be expensive to repair, and it is best to find out the problem early to avoid expensive repairs.
Homeowners can use thermal imaging before and after a renovation to ensure that the work has been done correctly. This can help homeowners save money by cutting energy costs and reducing the amount of waste produced by their homes. Thermal images can also help to speed up the planning process for a renovation by providing clear information on how to insulate and heat a building.
Drywall Issues
A thermal imaging inspection is a great complement to a home inspector’s visual inspection. It can help identify hidden issues like moisture, faulty wiring, hot spots or flue leaks that may not be visible to the naked eye.
For instance, if there’s an area where a homeowner has noticed a damp smell but can’t find the source of it, thermal imaging might show that drywall is wet or sagging, which is a sign of a possible water leak behind the wall. Similarly, if there’s a faulty window or door seal that’s leading to a loss of energy, a thermal imaging inspection might pick it up as a hot spot that’s affecting the entire room.
Another example is a leaking roof or gutter that’s causing rot and other structural problems. Because of the way that wet building materials conduct heat, they often have a different temperature pattern on a thermal image compared to dry ones. In this case, a thermal imaging inspection might be able to detect this issue before it becomes worse and leads to costly repairs.
As with any type of inspection, a thermal imaging one has its limitations, as well. It can’t see through walls, for instance, and it can only detect surface temperatures – not electrical wiring or plumbing pipes. However, it’s still a powerful tool that helps inspectors identify potential problems quickly and easily.