What is a Thermal Imaging Home Inspection?
Home inspectors complete Thermal Imaging for residential property buyers and sellers across the United States. This imaging test is conducted using a Thermal Imaging Camera. The test aims to detect warning signs of water leaks within any residential or commercial property’s foundation, walls, attics, or hard-to-see spaces.
A Thermal Imaging Camera can see in the infrared spectrum and detect warm and cold heat signatures. The colors of a warm image are white and red, while a cold image is yellowish and blue. In case you’re not aware, water and moisture absorb heat energy, which causes them to have a cool signature. The Thermal Imaging Camera detects these signatures to identify potential water leaks.
How Does an Infrared Thermography Inspection Work?
The process of completing a Thermal Camera Inspection follows a basic structure. The Home Inspector will pass the Thermal Image Camera over the surface of the interior and exterior walls, ceilings, floors, and all other accessible areas of the property.
As the camera passes over each surface, it produces a thermal image translated into various colors depending on its detected temperature signature. These color variations help the home inspector identify potential problem areas that may require further investigation.
Once the Thermal Imaging Inspection is complete, the home inspector will review the images with the buyer or seller and point out any areas of concern.
How are Infrared Home Inspections Different from Regular Home Inspections?
A typical home inspection is a visual review of the overall conditions of a property. It will include a detailed inspection of the home’s electrical, plumbing, HVAC, foundation, roofing and exterior features. While the inspector will use several specialized tools to gauge the quality and integrity of these systems, an average home inspection does not include thermal imaging.
Thermal imaging is often an elevated service – that can be conducted as part of a regular home inspection or as a standalone service. While a Thermal Imaging Home Inspection can identify potential problem areas that may require further investigation, a standard home inspection cannot.
What are 3 Benefits of Using Thermal Imaging for Home Inspections?
While thermal imaging is not a replacement for a regular home inspection, it’s a great complement that can provide additional peace of mind. Suppose customers are buying or selling a property. In that case, thermal imaging home inspections are a valuable tool to help them avoid costly repairs.
There are many benefits of thermal imaging for home inspections, but these are three of the most important:
Benefit #1 — Thermal Imaging Helps Identify Potential Water Leaks
Water leaks can cause extensive damage to a property if left unaddressed. The problem is that most water leaks don’t visually appear until the damage has been done. Thermal imaging can help identify potential water leaks early on – by detecting the minuscule amounts of moisture before they have a chance to cause significant damage.
Benefit #2 — Thermal Imaging is Non-Invasive
Unlike other types of inspection methods, thermal imaging does not require any demolition or opening of walls. The thermal imaging camera needs access to the surface area in question. This makes thermal imaging a very non-invasive inspection method that won’t cause any damage to the property.
Benefit #3 — Thermal Imaging is Quick and Easy
A thermal imaging inspection can be conducted quickly and easily in just a few hours. And because it’s such a non-invasive method, there’s no need for the buyer or seller to be present during the inspection. This makes thermal imaging a very convenient option for busy buyers and sellers who want an accurate picture of the property without disrupting their schedule.
Thermal Imaging Camera
A thermal imaging camera is a device that uses infrared technology to create thermal images or heat signatures. Thermal images are created by translating the thermal energy emitted from an object into a visible image. This thermal energy is invisible to the naked eye, but a thermal imaging camera can detect it.
Thermal imaging cameras come in various shapes and sizes but use the same basic principle. The camera uses a lens to focus on the thermal energy emitted by an object and then translates that thermal data into a visible image.
