Infrared Roof Scans

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Construction Defects: Infrared Services - The First Step in Finding and Fixing Water Leaks

This is what I get for bemoaning an early spring - all the sudden it's gotten chilly again! We have frost warnings on the books for this week - how about you?

This week I'm continuing the series about construction defects and the use of infrared cameras to detect the source of any issues. For a brief review, please feel free to visit my main webpage - so far I've discussed, roof ventilation, ice damming, roof ice melt systems and in-floor radiant heat systems (which would feel very good right about now!)

Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) and stucco can also manifest problems, especially if they are improperly installed. EIFS in particular has received a bad rap due to a rash of bad installations in North Carolina in the mid-90s. Problems included lack of flashing, water infiltration (with corresponding mildew and rot issues) and structure damage because of water infiltration behind or around windows.

The most common EIFS issue is typically water intrusion into the the facade of the building because of missing or inadequate metal flashings and sealants.

As you know from past blogs, infrared thermography is often used to detect the source of moisture infiltration - and the same is true of water leakage due to improperly installed EIFS or stucco. Thermal imaging can provide an immediate "picture" of moisture migration paths. It's certainly much cheaper than making large test cuts to see what's going on behind the walls! Finding the source of the problem means it can be fixed quickly and effectively.

Interested in learning more? Call me at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!

IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Twitter:  We are proud to offer the very best infrared thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!

*Ideas for this blog entry derived from:
Infrared Applications in the Fields of Forensic & Construction Defect Engineering, Fronapfel, E.L. & Amhaus, E.G., InfraMation 2003, ITC 092 A 2003-08-15

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