Thermal Imaging Camera Service

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For a small fee you can have Thermal Imaging Camera Services included in your General Home Inspection. 

An added Basic Thermal Imaging Camera Service of the home may include an inspection of the following: 

• Exterior Walls
• Above Average Ceiling Height (vaulted, cathedral or 2 story ceilings)
• Ceilings
• Doors & Window areas
• Potential Inadequate structure envelope (heat or cooling loss areas) 
• Electric or Hydronic Heated Floor Systems
• HVAC Duct Registers, to name a few

If you would like further information, please continue........

What Is Thermal Imaging? 

Thermal Imaging uses infrared technology to detect minimal differences in temperature. Every material has a unique thermal signature, also known as the heat signature which is a visual illustration of the external temperatures that object is offering. Thermal signatures can change due to environmental pressures. When moisture, heat, cold, or even wood-destroying insects/rodents are in an area, the effects of these elements and/or organisms disrupts the thermal signature. These changes can be subtle, but with thermal image technology the thermal signatures are a hint of an issue, that otherwise would not be seen with the naked eye. 

Although thermal imaging devices are referred to as cameras, they are considered sensors that turn data into a picture. Thermal Imaging Camera devices simply detect temperatures and visualize them in a way that is understandable to the trained user. 

The infrared camera detects and measures the infrared energy of objects. It converts that infrared data into an electronic image that shows the apparent surface temperature of the object being measured.  The camera contains an optical system that focuses infrared energy onto a special detector chip that contains thousands of detector pixels arranged in a grid. Each pixel in the sensor array reacts to the infrared energy focused on it and produces an electronic signal. The camera processor takes the signal from each pixel and applies mathematical calculations to it to create a color map of the apparent temperature of the object. Each temperature value is assigned a different color.  The resulting matrix of colors is sent to memory and to the cameras display as a temperature picture (thermal image) of the object/area. 

Below are a few things that this technology is often mistaken for:

• X-ray Vision: It does not provide the user with X-ray vision. Thermal imagers detect information based on the heat emitted from an object, not by seeing into the object's internal structures. 
• Moisture Meter: Since moisture meters and thermal imagers present environmental data in a similar fashion, many people often get the technologies confused. A thermal imager simply identifies thermal anomalies, and it provides no information on an object's moisture levels.

 Although thermal imaging significantly improves the chances of us to detect problems in 

your home, it is not a find all tool.  It will help us to identify issues that would not 

otherwise be detectable, especially when combined with other technologies. 

How is Thermal Imaging Camera used in a Home Inspection?

Many areas of the home can be scanned with thermal imaging technology to 

potentially help find deficient areas. Such areas include:

• Insulation: This is a common problem found in areas of the home where insulation is not visible, such as walls, cathedral ceilings, etc. Noticeable temperature differences due to differences in the amount of insulation allow for the identification of deficiencies in these areas.
• Structural issues: Differences in thermal capacity, conductivity, and other qualities of building structural components can be detected when scanning walls, floors, and ceilings with an infrared camera. This could point to plumbing leaks, rodents burrowing in walls or ceiling insulation materials, and underfloor heating components.
• Electrical systems: Deficiencies within an electrical system can be made visually apparent by the use of an infrared camera. For example, a faulty connection between electrical components will create resistance, causing temperatures to rise in that circuit.

Why add Basic Thermal Imaging to a Home Inspection?

Combined with traditional home inspection techniques, the thermal imaging

 inspection methods reveal substantially more of the house than can be seen by the naked eye. 

Unfortunately, many laden (hidden) deficiencies can go unnoticed. Our basic thermal imaging can improve the odds in finding problem areas.  
Occasionally, we will allow limited use of thermal imaging cameras in our standard inspections, free of charge. 

Some factors if we will consider using this equipment:

• Tall Ceilings where a ladder would be needed to inspect-which is not realistic with a General Home Inspection.
• Type of inspection being performed
• The type of home
• The weather
•  The availability of equipment

Note that this service may not always be available, and at times it may not be a suitable option for your Home Inspection. To be clear, this is not a full home energy audit.

Please ask if your Home Inspection results can improve with a Thermal Imaging Camera Service.