How Thermal Roof Inspection Helps Extend the Life of Your Roof

 The roof of any structure is vital for providing protection from external factors. The roof protects the structure from the effects of weather and from being damaged due to exposure to heat, rain, snow, and temperature changes. Hidden problems in the roof cannot be seen and become very expensive to fix later. 

The use of thermal imaging inspection of the roof can help to identify these problems.Assessing a roof with infrared technology is quick and doesn't require a lot of disruption when compared to traditional forms of assessment.

Thermo Elite Inc. offers inspections to property owners who want to proactively protect their roofing investment by identifying hidden problems before they cost a lot to repair.

What is a Thermal Roof Inspection?

Infrared cameras are used in a Thermal Roof Inspection to evaluate surface temperature across a roof. Unlike other assessment methods which are limited to what is visible to the naked eye, an infrared inspection is able to show heat and temperature patterns on a roof that may indicate hidden, unseen roof problems.

Infrared technology is useful for identifying hidden moisture in roofing systems. Wet insulation likely will behave differently than dry insulation since it has the ability to retain and release heat. If moisture is located between the roofing layers, and if inspection conditions are favorable, the temperature differential would be visible through infrared imaging systems.

Infrared technology is effective for assessing the condition of commercial and low-slope roof systems where it’s possible for moisture to penetrate beneath the roofing membrane and create an issue without material damage with an obvious interior leak.

Thermal roof imaging is not a substitute for a traditional roof inspection. Rather, thermal roof imaging adds insight to an experienced thermographer’s analysis that may help direct the thermographer to focus on particular regions.

1. Provides a View of Roof Moisture Before the Damage is Visible

One of the primary enemies of a roofing system is water.

A roofing system is compromised by a variety of membrane failures, broken flashings, deteriorated roofing materials or components, or a small opening or opening in the roof system. Oftentimes, these failures and deterioration do not become apparent until the damage has already spread to the insulation or other hidden building components.

A thermal roof survey helps identify potential wet areas by temperature variations. This type of survey has been recognized as a cost-effective approach for identifying areas of wet insulation and damage that has or could eventually progress to more critical conditions.

This approach helps the property owner identify areas for investigation before moisture spreads and increases the extent of deterioration.

2. Helps Avoid Premature Roof Replacement

An early roof survey can help save property owners significant money on prematurely replacing an entire roofing system.

Thermal roof imaging gives roofing professionals the insight required to focus their efforts on the most critical sections. This eliminates the removal of unnecessary, healthy roofing sections.

This type of survey does not result in premature roof replacement. Rather, it provides focus to the maintenance activities required.

3. Identifies Insulation Issues and Heat Loss

Insulation and roof performance go hand in hand.

Insulation gaps or poor insulation may result in random temperature variations throughout a building. Thermal imaging may reveal temperature patterns that suggest hot or cold spots.

Thermo Elite Inc. reports that thermal imaging is used to determine heat loss and insufficient insulation in both residential and commercial buildings.

Addressing insulation and heating or cooling issues can increase the efficiency of a building.

It is assumed that with better insulation performance, the building will feel so much more comfortable, and the consumption of energy will be lowered.

4. Identifies Concerns That Are Invisible to the Human Eye

Although visual inspections are key in roof maintenance, they are limited in many respects.

A roof surface that appears to be in good condition may be hiding moisture or insulation issues below the surface. Infrared thermography provides another dimension by detecting hot and cold spots.

Thermo Elite Inc. reports that thermographic inspections are used to analyze problems that are generally invisible to the human eye. The services offered include moisture intrusion, roof moisture, heat loss, and insulation problems.

Thermal imaging is extremely beneficial when problems exist, but there is no visible evidence.

5. Allows for a Plan for Preventative Maintenance Instead of Reactive Maintenance

The function of a roof is to protect. A good maintenance plan helps avoid unexpected failures due to storms, leaks, or other issues.

Final Report

5. Identifies issues before they arise.

The primary concern of any roof is the failure to properly protect the building from the elements, such as leaks. The goal of every good maintenance plan is to avoid the unexpected failure of the roof due to the storm and other concerns.

If you wait until there is visible damage or water has entered the building, then small repairs become larger, more costly projects. Regular inspections help building owners understand the condition of their roof. Inspections also help identify developing issues so they can be addressed.

There are many different times infrared roof moisture surveys can be useful. They can be performed as part of a planned maintenance check, when a warranty is about to expire, before a building is purchased, or before a roof is installed over top of an existing roof.

Using Thermal Roof Inspection as part of a larger building maintenance program helps owners of the building make more informed decisions about the best way to proceed with repairs on a roof, or if it's time to do a complete roof replacement.

There is a 6. Reduces the Risk of Expensive Secondary Damage

Problems with a roof do not remain isolated to a roof.

Water gets into the roof deck and insulation and can then get into the walls, the interior of the building, and other building components. Moisture can disrupt operations in a commercial building.

Thermo Elite Inc. uses infrared technology that helps identify problems related to moisture without causing damage to the building.

The goal is to identify moisture problems faster so that repairs can be done to contain the damage before it spreads.

7. Provides Useful Documentation for Maintenance Decisions

There are other benefits to thermal inspections including useful documentation.

An infrared image that shows temperature differentials can be reviewed along with photos and inspection notes.

Thermo Elite Inc. says that its thermographic inspections come with a detailed report describing the findings to the client.

This documentation can help when making repairs, explaining information to roofing contractors, tracking changes over time, and making maintenance decisions.

When Should You Consider a Thermal Roof Inspection?

You may want to consider a Thermal Roof Inspection when the following conditions exist:

You suspect you have a roof leak, but you can’t locate it.

Your building has experienced water intrusion.

You see unexplained moisture or have interior staining.

Your commercial roof is old.

You are looking for caught moisture.

You want to look at major repairs or replacement on your roof.

You want to look at purchasing a building.

You want to have a plan for preventive maintenance.

You have a roofing warranty that will end.

You have a concern about insulation or heat loss.

Thermal inspections can be very helpful and diagnose a lot of issues with the help of someone that knows how to read infrared patterns; however, they can only be helpful if you have all the thermal readings done and interpreted.

Why Professional Interpretation Matters

Just because you had a thermal inspection done and got an image, doesn’t mean you can say the roof has a leak or moisture problem.

There are a lot of things that can affect thermal readings, like, weather, roofing materials, type of insulation, condition of surface, solar exposure, etc. It is very important to have an inspection done by a professional that uses proper methods in order to come up with a good solid conclusion.

That is why it’s very important to have a thermographer do the thermal inspection, so you’re not buying a camera and trying to interpret an image yourself.

Thermo Elite Inc. claims to specialize in infrared thermographic inspections and offers commercial and industrial thermographic roof inspections, as well as residential and commercial building inspections.

Proactive Inspection Preserves the Value of Your Roof Investment

The type of roof you have are considerable, long-term investments. Protecting your investments is not a case of waiting for something to go wrong.

Thermal Roof Inspections incorporate hidden thermal patterns and potentially concealed moisture or insulation issues. Property owners are able to plan and carry out repairs to avoid unnecessarily replacing the roof and improve their dedicated maintenance strategy.

The goal is to find potentially expensive issues before they become a financial burden.

The utility of thermal roof imaging is not limited to your property. Thermal roof imaging can be of value to homeowners, property managers and even industrial facility overseers.

Thermographic roof services from Thermo Elite Inc. gives property owners the ability to obtain hidden roofing and building conditions insights and make determinations regarding the need for maintenance and repairs.

Conclusion

Roofs do not show signs of distress until it is too late. Issues can be present long before they reach the surface threatening the roof and insulation.

An Infrared Roof Inspection is a great addition to your regular maintenance schedule. Infrared technology can assist in finding thermal anomalies before they have the potential to become financially burdensome issues.

The life of your roof can be prolonged with proper regular inspection along with timely repairs done in a proactive fashion.

When it comes to hidden moisture behind roofing materials, heat loss, and other thermographic problems, professional infrared inspections for residential, commercial, and industrial properties are all available at Thermo Elite Inc.