High Resolution Infrared Thermal Imaging by:Jon Bolton

What is a HIGH RESOLUTION INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING camera

? HIGH RESOLUTION - A high pixel count like 680x480 provides more information and clearer images than a lower resolution like 80 x80 just like when you buy a a higher mega pixel digital camera. INFRARED (IR) is a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum of light than our eyes see. Infrared is just below visible light that our eyes see. Ultraviolet light, on the other hand, is the spectrum just above our perception. All surfaces emit and reflect infrared waves through the air. These waves travel through the lens of the camera which focuses them onto a sensory array called a microbolometer. The wave strength is measured by the sensory array and converted by a signal processor to a visible light value. Grayscale signals from all the pixels are converted to a TV signal forming a composite image. THERMAL IMAGING - the IR camera shows us surface radiation or temperature patterns. It does not see inside walls, that would be an x-ray. We are usually looking at the affects or images of evaporative water cooling like when drywall is wet and conductive thermal transfer like when insulation is missing. With our knowledge of building characteristics, construction materials and thermal transfer, we interpret these temperature patterns to produce a building performance diagnostic inspection report. The camera makes for a faster, more accurate damage assessment.

Things that inhibit or obscure this process are items with a low emissivity, products like shiny wallpaper, cove molding, glass, metal and tile which reflect like a mirror. When conditions are right, finding moisture intrusion in a home is like shooting fish in a barrel. The best times for camera use are when temperatures are changing rapidly or things are in a steady state like the missing insulation in the middle of the afternoon or the water intrusion came from the rain the night before or when exterior ambient temperature is extreme and our HVAC system is operating just the opposite, it makes it easier to see heat loss/gain around windows and doors. First thing in the morning as the sun rises and warms the surface of walls/windows or later in the afternoon when the sun goes down and surfaces start to cool are great times to find things more subtle or in a transient state. The larger the thermal mass the slower the temperature change compared to other materials around it. Solid concrete downpours, for instance, are very easy to see in a block wall.

Night vision goggles and video cameras with "nightshot" are not the same. Night vision simply amplifies a small amount of light. Infrared wavelengths we are concerned with do not pass through glass and those products do not have the processors to convert IR to visible light images.

What else is it good for you ask? It is excellent for identifying HVAC leaks or insulation anomalies inside and outside the home. Loose electrical connections, overheated electrical components, energy efficiency issues, plumbing issues and even crazy stuff like freezer door heat strips at 133F! Moisture intrusion detection however, is our primary focus. For flat roofs, moisture entrapment can be isolated for repairs. In an EIFS home, moisture intrusion around building envelope penetrations. We have even found a sub slab plumbing leak and many window and roof leaks. We have even located multiple upstairs shower pan leaks from underneath! Often times we find more than we bargained for. One particular house we were called on to find the source of A leak. We found seven. Five of them were unrelated to the issue that generated the call! THIS IS THE FUTURE OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS.

Got questions, give me a call at 407.678.HOME or email me at jon@inspectagator.com. If we all stick together, nobody gets burned! Check out images of some of the wild things we have found with the cameras that nobody else could find by clicking on the infrared camera link on our web site, you'll love it!

About the author

Besides being a landlord and investor, Jon, aka the Inspectagator, is a full time professional home inspector who has performed over five thousand home inspections since 1998 and now sets a vigorous pace as a market leader transforming the direction of Professional Home Inspections. As an ASHI member, FABI Registered Professional Inspector and ICC Residential Building Inspector, Jon is an invited speaker at radio stations, real estate offices and real estate investment clubs. He currently serves on the board for Central Florida Realty Investors.

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