Home inspectors are professionals that have had extensive training and lots of experience. That is why they are important when you are looking for a new home to buy. However, even though they are able to detect any faults, they can’t see everything. Therefore, if you want to make sure that the home you are looking to purchase is in the best possible shape, you should look at additional resources for help. A thermal imaging camera, for example, can uncover many issues that would be hard, if not impossible, to see with the naked eye. Not only that, but an infrared camera can show you precisely where the issue lies. For this reason, we have decided to talk about the benefit of thermal imaging in home inspections.
1. It Can Help Uncover Leaks in the Roof
Roof inspections are among the most important elements of a home inspection. That is why it is critical to use every tool in your toolbox to determine whether you will be moving into a home with a faulty roof or a home with a sturdy roof. You can occasionally see roof leaks. However, by then, it’s already too late. It’s very hard to see a roof leak in its inception. With that said, water retains heat energy longer than other materials. This makes it simple to detect with thermal imaging. In the summer, the water will appear as a warmer patch. However, if you live in Tampa, for example, you will need to wait for nightfall because your walls may be too warm during the day.
2. Thermal Imaging Can Help You Detect Moisture and Mold Damage
While minor issues like the presence of moisture may be something that doesn’t bother you, you still need to pay attention to it. For example, an excess of moisture in a room can cause mold growth over time. That is where a thermal imaging device can come in handy. It won’t be able to tell you if there is mold present, but it will be able to tell you if there are elevated moisture levels. This is an important tool because home inspections usually only check the surface level of a home.
Thermal imaging helps the inspector to observe whether there are any unusual temperature fluctuations. A thermal imaging device will show fluctuations in the temperature of your home’s cold and warm parts. If there are many clod spots, that would indicate that there is an excess of moisture. If you or your inspector notice this, you should contact a mold removal expert to have a closer look.
3. It Reveals the Home’s Energy Efficiency
The use of thermal imaging provides a more in-depth understanding of a home’s state and potential energy efficiency. The thermal imaging device has the ability to detect temperature, which will show whether or not certain areas of the house are good for the environment in terms of energy consumption. To be more specific, the device will demonstrate whether or not any component of the house is releasing an abnormally high amount of energy.
You may be losing heat through the windows, doorways, and other openings in your home. This device is capable of measuring the energy efficacy of the objects it is scanning. Because of this, thermal imaging hardware is very useful for those who are in the market to purchase a new house. There are a lot of people who sell their homes and use the energy efficiency that they advertise as a way to gain bargaining power. During the course of the home inspection process, you should make use of a thermal imaging device if you don’t want to end up paying too much for a house that has good energy efficiency ratings.
4. It Has the Ability to Detect Electrical Faults
Electrical issues with a home are one of the biggest deal-breakers when it comes to buying a home. Thermal imaging technology can identify temperature, making it particularly useful in distinguishing electrical faults and areas where an overload of electricity is causing heat. At the point when electrical faults are building, and an electrical circuit has too much energy going through it, the area can become very hot. This can eventually lead to electrical fires. Thermal imaging devices are able to reveal elevated temperatures. This is useful because it can show the inspectors the issue before it is too late.
The Disadvantages of Utilizing Thermal Imaging
The use of thermal imaging can reveal quite a bit, but it is not capable of revealing everything. As an illustration, a widespread misconception holds that X-ray vision and thermal imaging are interchangeable terms. However, nothing can be further from the truth. Thermographic imaging cannot see through solid objects, such as walls. In addition, despite the fact that a thermal imaging device can identify heat signatures, it is of no use if an area has had sufficient time to adjust its temperature to that of the surrounding environment. If this happens, the device won’t e able to give you the information you need.
Another major drawback of thermal imaging hardware is that it doesn’t work well with metallic objects. When you scan them with a thermal imaging camera, reflective materials usually return erroneous results. However, there are methods to compensate for this with higher-quality thermal imaging cameras. Additionally, if a person is good at figuring out the difference, it is possible to overcome this flaw. Finally, every thermal imaging camera is a bit different than another. Lower-quality cameras lack the resolution of higher-end cameras. This is a major factor that will undoubtedly influence what you can or cannot see when you use this device.
A Conclusion on the Benefit of Thermal Imaging in Home Inspections
With that said, now you know what the benefit of thermal imaging in home inspections is, but you also know some of the drawbacks. Nonetheless, no home inspection should be conducted without this technology. As a result, if you want to ensure that you get the best possible deal on the home you’re planning to buy, make thermal imaging one of the primary inspection methods.
Author bio: For the past six years, John Chase has worked as a content writer. Most of his recent writing has been for City Movers, where he has covered a wide range of topics, from home inspections and real estate to tech reviews and analyses.
