How Infrared Imaging Brings Your Home Inspection To Another Level

Here in Florida, a home’s roof and walls endure a lot of punishment. Even in Central Florida, where many storms are weakened before they reach us, there’s still a huge potential for wind and water damage.

In many cases, the full extent of the damage isn’t noticed right away. The interior of walls can continue to deteriorate long after the weather ends.

For invisible problems like these, infrared imaging is essential in a quality home inspection.

Infrared Imaging Clues You In To Invisible Home Defects
Throughout most of Florida, the average age of the home stock is 30 years or older. That gives a structure plenty of time to accumulate invisible damage from moisture penetration and more. Older construction methods and materials leave homes especially vulnerable.

Enter infrared imaging. Sometimes referred to as thermography, infrared is a highly advanced method for detecting problems within a wall without having to deconstruct any portion of the wall itself.

Infrared light is part of the invisible light spectrum. Using the right equipment, it is easy to detect in low light conditions. By monitoring infrared levels throughout a structure, a home inspector can detect areas that are too warm or not warm enough compared to surroundings.

These point to structural or electrical issues that are otherwise tough to track down.

What Infrared Imaging Can Find During A Home Inspection
In the hands of a trained home inspector, infrared imaging is one of the most versatile tools around. It’s indispensable in a complete home inspection that takes Floridians’ needs into account.

These are just a few concerns it can uncover:

1. Damaged Electrical Wiring
Most homes have hundreds of square feet of wiring – about 800 on average. When wires start to show their age, they greatly elevate fire risk throughout the home. Infrared is ideal for figuring out why sockets and circuit breakers aren’t working as intended. They can find overloaded areas and point in the direction of wiring that’s in imminent need of replacement.

2. Heat Loss Areas
When it comes to your home’s cost of ownership, heat loss is a major factor. Heat loss can point to problems with attic insulation, your foundation, or the home’s outer envelope. The more sound your envelope is, the easier it is to both heat and cool the structure. That ultimately saves you money on electricity. Plus, you’ll be much more comfortable in fierce Florida summers.

3. Moisture Infiltration
Even if a structure gets “top to bottom” wind and water remediation, a hurricane can still leave a lasting imprint. Waterlogged areas can go undetected, encouraging mold, mildew, and extensive interior rotting. Infrared zeroes in on these areas by finding spots in the structure that are cooler than they should be.

4. Some Common Pests
Infrared isn’t a microscope and it won’t point out actual insect colonies. With experience, though, it can be used to find damaged areas characteristic of certain infestations. In Central Florida, the most crucial of these is the drywood or dampwood termite. These pests don’t need to be in contact with soil. Instead, they invade moist wood, like water-damaged roofs and siding.

At Super Inspection Pros, our home inspection process includes infrared imaging as a matter of course. Our home inspection reports are among the most comprehensive in the industry so you can make your decisions with confidence.

To find out more or get started, contact us.

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