Building/Residential Inspection

Do you cool or heat your premises?

Do you feel that it costs a lot of money?

Would you like to save money on energy costs?

Badly built building with gaps in upper structural componet alows big amout of warm air to escape. Lack of air in the building is being filed with colder air from below, and that cold air allows moist air to condenses. Condensate is building up in building envelope on cold spots and impairs envelope insulatig propertis, causing enormous heat loss.

Heat loss is fuel loss and fuel loss is money loss, so it has to be detected, analysed and stopped. Our certified thermographers will pinpoint and document the problems so you can plan the most cost-effective repairs.

✓ Pinpoint missing, damaged or wet insulation

✓ Locate causes of frozen pipes and ice dams

✓ Prioritize and document heat loss problems

✓ Identify sources of air and water infiltration

✓ Detect conditions likely to support growth of mold and mildew

✓ Reduce heating and cooling costs

✓ Determine best options for energy-saving renovation and retrofits

✓ Identify cost-effective strategies for achieving LEED credits

✓ Increase energy efficiency and boost profits

Roof Moisture

Whether apparent or concealed, roof problems are always trouble and can result in a significant expense. While there may be a number of factors contributing to the cause, it has long been understood that entrapped moisture will ultimately destroy a roof system.

Left unattended, moisture intrusion into a roof system will cause the roof membrane and insulation to rot. It decreases the thermal efficiency of the insulation, which will increase heating or cooling costs of the building. Water also dangerously increases the weight load of the roof and can lead to structural deterioration and safety concerns for personnel.

Alternatively, during the warm seasons, solar heat is absorbed into the wet area, and then retained for hours after the sun sets.

Proper identification to the defects will help determine the influences that are contributing to the deterioration, the repair needed and the proper repair material to be selected. It will also help managers prioritize repairs according to the significance of the problem, time constraints and budget limitations.

Infrared Thermography in Flat Roof Inspection

An infrared roof survey is used in a flat roof inspection to locate moisture in a roof by seeking areas of increased surface temperatures. During the cold weather season, heat from the building interior is lost at a greater rate through wet roof areas and elevates the surface temperature.

Would you like to save money on energy costs?

Alternatively, during the warm seasons, solar heat is absorbed into the wet area, and then retained for hours after the sun sets.

To understand the methodology for infrared roof evaluations, it is important to first comprehend how thermal differences are detected and analyzed when applied to areas of wet and dry insulation. Roof areas that contain moisture have higher thermal conductivity and capacitance than dry areas. During the day, the sun radiates energy onto the entire roof surface (solar loading). Later in the day, the wet insulation has the capability to retain more energy (heat capacity). Areas of the roof that are of higher mass (wet) retain heat longer than the lower mass (dry) areas and therefore radiate heat for a longer period of time, because it takes longer to cool.

When viewed through the infrared imager, wet areas appear as brighter, lighter tones of gray in black and white images. Alternatively, in color images, wet areas will appear as hotter colors. In general, the higher the concentration of water, the higher the surface temperatures.

Because higher surface temperatures and consequently hotter colors may be produced by several phenomena not related to moisture intrusion, additional tests are made to verify the findings of the infrared inspection including core cuts and other non-destructive testing methods.

✓ Pinpoint missing, damaged or wet insulation

✓ Locate causes of frozen pipes and ice dams

✓ Prioritize and document heat loss problems

✓ Identify sources of air and water infiltration

✓ Detect conditions likely to support growth of mold and mildew

✓ Reduce heating and cooling costs

✓ Determine best options for energy-saving renovation and retrofits

✓ Identify cost-effective strategies for achieving LEED credits

✓ Increase energy efficiency and boost profits