INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING
As an InterNACHI® Infrared Certified® Thermography Inspector, we can see things some other inspectors can't, because we use infrared camera technology. During the inspection process, thermal imaging is often used when issues might be seen, and can also scan the entire house as a home inspection "Upgrade."
Can You See What I See?
How It Works
We use a state-of-the-art infrared camera to find problems that aren’t always apparent to the naked eye. An IR camera translates the heat signatures of objects into colors on a gradient scale, with higher temperatures appearing as lighter colors, and lower temperatures and wet areas appearing as darker colors. By evaluating these images, Chris can detect sources of energy loss, locate areas of moisture intrusion, pinpoint dangerous hot spots in the electrical system, and uncover other problems, such as wood-destroying pest and rodent infestations, as well as flue leaks in the chimney, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Thermal (infrared) imaging is the temperature differences of an object. The definition is the use of infrared-detecting devices for the evaluation of the building envelope to detect thermal patterns that indicate defects caused by energy loss, latent moisture, electrical problems, or structural details.
Instead of seeing shapes and colors, the infrared camera helps to visualize heat. Using thermal imaging professionally requires not just having the camera but also having the knowledge necessary to use the camera correctly and to accurately interpret the images it produces. Just owning a trowel does not make you a mason. Just owning an infrared camera does not make you a thermographer.
A thermal imaging camera is not magic; it is just one more tool. And to use this tool properly, Chris has learned how it works and how to use it properly. A necessary part of the training Chris has completed includes some training in the developing field of building science. Information about hydrodynamics and thermodynamics – how water and heat move – is essential to the proper use of thermal imaging. He understand the physics of thermal imaging, thermal imaging equipment, the basics of building science, and thermal imaging applications.
J. Chris Stanley is an InterNACHI® Infrared Certified® Thermography Inspector.