Infrared Thermal Imaging Inspections

Types of infrared thermal imaging inspections currently offered:

Limited General Thermal Imaging Scan

This thermograph shows a utility chase that is uninsulated and open to the attic above. The dark areas show where cold air has infiltrated the chase, representing a substantial energy loss.

A limited general thermal imaging scan can be added to any full home inspection. With the potential to identify issues that may pose a physical or financial risk to you or your loved ones, this scan can be a money-saving and educational experience for homebuyers and current homeowners alike. Here are just some of the problems that a limited general thermal imaging scan may uncover:

• Missing, inadequate, or poorly installed insulation in walls, ceilings and floors
• Moisture infiltration
• Disconnected or poorly sealed air ducts
• Overheated electrical components
• Structural defects

In this thermograph, the wall's framing is clearly visible. While there are no visible problems, the image demonstrates thermography's ability to identify structural defects.

A limited general thermal imaging scan is designed to complement your home inspection. Your enhanced home inspection report will include information about atypical thermal variations associated with systems or components that are part of the typical home inspection, providing a more complete diagnosis of a home's condition than can be done with the naked eye. This is a non-invasive thermal imaging scan intended to measure the surface temperature variations of the visible, safely accessible and readily accessible portions of the following:

• Interior and/or exterior walls, doors, and windows
• Interior ceilings and floors
• Accessible portions of the HVAC distribution system
• Main electrical panel and subpanels
• A representative number of electrical outlets

Insulation and Energy Loss Thermal Imaging Survey

This thermograph shows heated air escaping from the two windows on the left, due to insufficient weather stripping. The window on the right has significantly less leakage, due to a recent replacement of weather stripping.

Often in residential and commercial buildings, insulation and weather stripping are improperly installed, leaving large gaps that can add up to substantial energy loss from the home or building. These energy losses can cause dramatic increases in utility bills, discomfort to occupants, and in some situations may make the home conducive to pest infestations, mold and moisture damage caused by condensation forming on building materials. An insulation and energy loss thermal imaging survey can be a money-saving and educational experience for homeowners by identifying areas of energy loss that are not visible to the naked eye. This survey was designed to evaluate the home or building for atypical thermal variations consistent with:

• Missing, inadequate or poorly installed insulation
• Significant air infiltration
• Disconnected or poorly sealed ducts

As part of an insulation and energy loss thermal imaging survey, the inspector will provide a non-invasive thermal imaging scan intended to measure the surface temperature variations of the visible, safely accessible and readily accessible portions of the following:

• Interior and/or exterior walls, doors, and windows
• Interior ceilings and floors
• Accessible portions of the HVAC distribution system