Inspecting Your Home using Thermal Imaging

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Everyone knows that home ownership is the American Dream. That dream can quickly become a nightmare, however, for uninformed buyers. Even newly constructed homes can harbor costly mistakes - mistakes that may not be visible to the untrained eye.             from "Inspect before you Invest" article on finetuning.com

Your home is a major investment. Whether you intend to stay in it forever or plan to move someday, chances are good that you will spend the next several years in your new home. Why not take the time up front to get a quality home inspection for your new purchase, to ensure you won't come across any unexpected surprises down the road?

 Trying to sell your home:  www.nachi.org/sellyourhome.htm

I can provide you with the professional home inspection you deserve, in any of the following areas:

• Houghton Lake
• Grayling
• Gaylord
• Kalkaska
• Mancelona
• Waters
• Bellaire
• Lewiston
• Gladwin
• Cadillac
• Clare
• Harrison
• West Branch

Only NACHI-certified home inspectors have the education and experience it takes to ensure that you will receive a professional and thorough home inspection. Click here to read more about NACHI certification requirements.

Homeowners, whether you're buying or selling, here's a collection of resources and articles that may be of interest.

If you are in the market for a home inspection, check out what I inspect, and what you can expect from me. If you would like to know more, please contact me for a personal consultation, or to schedule an inspection today.

How can this technology be useful??

• Moisture Detection in Walls and Ceilings - As demonstrated above, thermal imaging is a great tool that helps to identifying water damage in walls, floors, and ceilings. By detecting the difference in temperature between a wet area and the surrounding dry areas thermal imaging can help detect moisture issues that would not be visible during a limited visual home inspection. It is also great at identifying areas where the insulation contractor failed to insulate adequately.
• Stucco & EIFS Inspections - Thermal image scanning has greatly improved our ability to perform stucco and EIFS moisture intrusion inspections. If there is rot behind the stucco it is often visible with thermal imaging in the form of heat anomalies. Thermal image scanning also helps to quantify the affected areas of moisture damage. By adding this tool to our stucco inspections we have been able to better identify where the trouble areas are that need repair.
• Wood Destroying Insect Activity - Significant wood destroying insect activity can be detected using this technology due to the heat generated by active infestations. That's right, active termite activity produces a great deal of heat that is often visible to the infrared camera. Minor activity may not be detectable but areas not normally visible to the naked eye can be identified, and then a more invasive or technically exhaustive inspection can be carried out by the appropriate professional.
• Energy Audits - We do not currently specialize in performing energy audits, but thermal imaging has been a great tool to help homeowners save money, especially now that energy rates are on the rise. Heat loss and/or cold air influx can be detected and corrective actions can be taken to help improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial structures. Once the energy wasting areas are identified, then changes can be made to make a dramatic difference in energy consumption which means less money out of pocket.
• Flat Roof Inspections - If you have a leak on a new to mid life flat roof and have been told that a new roof is needed, then call us first. We may be able to save you a substantial amount of money. Thermal imaging can be used to detect the precise location of the leak and mark the affected area so that repairs can be made to the leaking area. Obviously, if the roof is older then you should forego the thermal imaging and invest in the needed new roof.
• Electrical Inspections - Loose or dirty electrical connections and other electrical anomalies can cause power outages and possible fires. We can inspect the electrical panels and receptacles to detect issues before there is a costly outage. Thermal imaging can detect hot spots in the electrical system not visible to the naked eye which may be a precursor to a larger issue. The resulting report can be a great aid for the repair electrician hired to address the identified issues.
• Plumbing Inspections - Water leaks from the plumbing system often leak undetected until major damage has occurred. We can scan in, under, and around plumbing fixtures in the home to determine if there is active leaking going on. Since this tool is not a moisture meter we will use it to find heat anomalies and then pursue the issue further to attempt to determine the source and cause of the leak. Thermal image scanning can detect temperature anomalies in the plumbing system not visible to the naked eye which may be a precursor to a larger issue. The resulting Thermal Image Scan report can be a great aid for the repair plumber hired to address the identified issues.