By Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Thermal imaging technology is not new to the real estate industry, but lately thermal imaging equipment has become more affordable, allowing more home inspectors to be able to use it.
“The technology has gotten to a point where it is more affordable for people in the roofing industry or home inspection business,” said Dennis Kunkle of Kunkle Property Inspections. “The cost has come down and the tool has tremendous value when doing building envelope diagnostics or building analysis. It allows us to look at things that are not really visible to the naked eye and to look at greater surface areas.”
Kunkle said the thermal imaging camera is mainly an indicator tool: “It’s not always a positive indicator. You have to be aware of a lot of issues depending on what you are looking at in terms of different types of surface materials, weather conditions, outside temperatures verses indoor temperatures, and the like. There are a lot of things that affect moisture in the wall cavity.”
Kunkle said thermal imaging uses infrared technology to detect minute differences in surface temperature.
A website on thermal imaging said every material has a unique thermal signature and when moisture, heat, cold or pests are introduced the thermal signature changes. The changes can be subtle or dramatic but with a trained inspector and thermal imaging, they are detectable where they wouldn’t be able to be seen with the naked eye.
“This is not the ‘magic bullet’ but is used in conjunction with other technology and experience to help identify issues and concerns during the inspection process,” said Kunkle.
Kunkle said thermal imaging cameras range from $70,000 down to about $10,000.
“They are starting to manufacture thermal imaging cameras at the lower end for purposes of just doing building diagnostics,” said Kunkle. “It’s another tool in the home inspector’s arsenal that allows them to look at a broader area and pinpoint issues. For instance, now we look for visual indicators. If I see a water stain or a brown stain, it would be a possible indication of moisture intrusion. Therefore, I would use a moisture meter, which is another tool we use to locate moisture.
“Thermal imaging allows me to stand back and take a broader picture of an interior or exterior wall and help identify potential issues. With further analysis and probing, I can see if there really is a problem. It just makes things more efficient in terms of scanning larger areas.”
How can this technology be useful?
Thermal imaging can help with moisture detection in walls and ceilings by detecting the difference in temperature between a wet area in a ceiling or wall and the surrounding dry areas we can help detect an area of concern that would not normally be visible during a typical inspection.
Roofers, building contractors, wood destroying organism inspectors, home inspectors and energy auditors can all benefit from using thermal imaging technology.
Kunkle said that significant wood destroying insect activity can be detected using this technology. Minor activity may not be detectable but areas not normally visible to the naked eye can be exposed, and then a more invasive or technically exhaustive inspection can be carried out by the appropriate professional.
Thermal imaging can be used in energy audits as well.
Heat loss and/or cold air infiltration can be detected to help improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial structures. Minor changes can make a difference in energy consumption which means less money out of pocket.
“It can help in energy audits issues where you are having a lot of lost energy from missing insulation in walls and ceilings,” said Kunkle.
For instance, if you have a leak on a flat roof and have been told that you need a new roof, call someone who can offer thermal imaging technology to check it out.
Thermal imaging can be used to detect the precise location of the leak and mark the affected area so that proper repairs can be made at a fraction of the expense of a new roof.
Electrical inspections can also benefit from this technology.
Loose or dirty electrical connections can cause power outages and possible fires. Thermal imaging can detect hot spots in the electrical system, not visible to the naked eye, that may be a precursor to a larger concern.
“This technology is important to builders because they would want to use this technology to see if they have any moisture intrusion on the buildings during the construction process,” he said. “Also, they would want it done after the building is complete before closing to make sure there is no moisture back behind the walls.”
Kunkle doesn’t use his thermal imaging technology on every home inspection unless it is specifically requested. He is called in as a specialist when other tools have detected moisture and he can either confirm or deny its existence with his camera.