thermographer: Thermal Image Transition Study On A Condo Building
- 01/26/14 06:52 PM
I was contacted recently by an engineering firm to help with a Transition Study on various condo buildings. This study is to turn the properties over to the residents, and their HOA management company. As such, they had never included a thermal image examination of any building. The purpose of the study is to address issues to everyone knows where they stand. Thermal imaging can help with that! These are buildings that house six condos, three downstairs and three upstairs. They are very nice looking.
They had had resident complaints for a long time that they wanted addressed.
The complaints concerned … (22 comments)
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thermographer: "My Cook Top Is Cold, And So Am I When I Stand In Front Of It."
- 01/16/14 06:09 PM
Arriving, immediately I heard, "My cook top is cold, and so am I when I stand in front of it."
When I get to a house for a one-year warranty inspection I ask what things are going on that they want me to investigate. I usually get an earful!
She went on. "Last week when it was really cold the metal all over the cook top actually had condensation on it!"
Air blew out of the exhaust vent, and no cold air was coming in, meaning that both of the flaps were functioning correctly.
So what gives? Well, I knew immediately. We … (37 comments)
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thermographer: One Year Warranty Inspection - The Office Is Really Hot And Cold
- 04/05/13 07:39 PM
This is what my client said to me when I asked how the house was doing just before my one year warranty inspection: the office is really hot and cold.
They had told me that over the phone too, so, in anticipation, I brought Mighty Mo!
The office was very hot last summer, but they thought it was because it is on the south side of the house. That is a logical conclusion.
But then this winter it was exceptionally cold!
What gives?
This is one of a couple of thermal images of the exterior wall in that room.
That … (28 comments)
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thermographer: A Year And A Half Of Contractors, And 15 Minutes With A Thermal Camera
- 03/30/13 08:03 PM
We've heard this story before - a year and a half of contractors, and 15 minutes with a thermal camera.
This was a contact through ActiveRain! And it was a story I have heard before.
Roofers came and determined that moisture in the living room ceiling (two floors below) was roof related. And they "fixed" it.
Siding guys came and determined that it was squirrels and "fixed" it.
Plumbers came, tore out much of the ceilings on the middle level, determined it was NOT plumbing, and "fixed" it.
And a year and a half later the problem remained.
None of these … (36 comments)
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thermographer: "I Want Your Thermal Camera To See If There Are Rats In My Walls."
- 12/16/12 07:33 PM
I have to admit, this one is a first for me. The phone call started like this, "I want your thermal camera to see if there are rats in my walls."
If there are rats there, I supposed they would demonstrate a heat signature! But only if they are right there when I am looking. I confessed to him that I had never heard this one before, but was sure we would see them if they are there!
I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WAS EXCITED ALL WEEK FOR THIS ONE!
We set the appointment for 7am Saturday, because I wanted to … (51 comments)
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thermographer: Moisture Meters And Thermal Imaging
- 11/09/12 08:44 PM
This is an instructive post about moisture meters and thermal imaging.
Moisture meters are important tools for home inspectors. I expect almost all home inspectors have them now.
I have been doing home inspections long enough to know that there was a debate* years ago, among home inspectors, as to whether using a moisture meter adds liability. It was the old "too much information" syndrome. If you have too much information on a report you can also have a problem for "not having enough."
To me that's silly. When I first heard about moisture meters I got one right away.
* … (21 comments)
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thermographer: "It's Not Either Bathroom, Sir"
- 10/27/12 08:57 PM
It's an older house. The buyers wanted a lot of new. So they had landscaping done, a new roof, new siding, and new windows installed. That's just on the outside. Inside "she" got a new kitchen, and "he" got a new basement room, including a bar area with a new, great, hand-made, old-fashioned, wooden bar top.
Then the leaking started.
The builder, whom I know, is a diligent guy and has been around a long time. He has been trying to figure it out. There has been dripping in the house, but not a lot, and only in certain places. The … (43 comments)
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thermographer: Busted!
- 05/27/12 09:43 PM
Early last winter a client called me to do a thermal image on her bedroom cathedral ceiling. It seems the room was really hot in summer and really cold in winter.
While it is hard to align thermal images, this is both sides of the cathedral ceiling at one end of the bedroom.
The other side looks pretty similar.
For the purposes of this blog, cooler temperatures appear as lavender, blue and purple. Warmer temperatures appear as orange and yellow.
I can select from many palettes, and I choose this one because it seems to be logical for me to not … (26 comments)
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thermographer: I Was Called To Find One Problem, But Found Another Instead!
- 10/15/11 12:00 AM
Doing inspections with a thermal image camera is a bit art and a bit science. In this house I was called to find one problem, but found another instead!
This house had a basement with moisture problems in the past. A company was called to fix them and dry out the basement. It seemed to have worked. But the homeowner felt that the basement was very humid and wondered if the basement was leaking again. He was referred to me, called and I went over.
Not a single problem anywhere! No moisture! Nothing! And in the last month we have had … (59 comments)
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thermographer: I Don't Think The Foundation Repairs Worked!
- 09/12/11 07:27 AM
A recent inspection on a beautiful house that had undergone extensive foundation repairs proved interesting. I don't think the foundation repairs worked!
We did the inspection just at the tail end of enormous rains, which had been happening for over two days.
The house is positioned on a sloped lot - high at the front, and low and the rear.
First of all, I noticed outside that the grading was sending water from a 30' hill beside the house directly to the foundation - from the top corner of the house, all along the wall, toward the lower corner at the … (12 comments)
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thermographer: "We're Wondering About Some Work That Was Done"
- 04/29/11 11:21 PM
When a client calls and the first thing the conversation begins with is, "We're wondering about some work that was done," and ends with a joking, "And don't forget the thermal imaging camera when you come!" you know it's going to be fun.
So we waited for a sunny day! You should know we have had a hint of rain lately, and about 30 tornadoes in the area. But our day came!
They explained. At the end of last summer they had some LED canister lights installed in the master bedroom ceiling. The entire upper floor of this townhouse has cathedral … (28 comments)
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thermographer: Not Every Little Breeze Seems To Whisper Louise...
- 03/30/11 01:45 AM
This is a 15 year old house. My clients have lived there from day one. They wanted an inspection, and in particular a thermal image inspection. There are hot and cold spots.
One complaint the woman has is that when she sits at the dining room table, a mere 6' from that window, she feels a breeze on her feet. She asked me if she is crazy. "How is it possible to feel a breeze on my feet?" Well, THAT is a good question.
The dining room has a bay window. There is a center picture window, and … (28 comments)
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thermographer: Be Careful Putting Fine Art On Exterior Walls
- 12/20/10 12:36 AM
I have heard for some time that fine art can be damaged by temperature variances on exterior walls. And think about it. Your art is essentially providing a thermal break between the warmer air inside your house and the very cold temps outdoors.
But we have insulation! Yes, you probably do. And it might be well placed and sufficient. But a thermal break is just that and moisture can develop.
Case in point. The bottom of this image is the warm bed frame in a master bedroom.
On the wall above the bed was hanging a large mirror. Cooler temperatures are … (31 comments)
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thermographer: Please Tell Me Why My Room Is So Cold
- 12/18/10 12:14 AM
I hear that all the time. The flip side complaint is that the given room is too warm in the summer.
This person said that the room feels fine when the heat runs, and then cools quickly. Sounds difficult to diagnose?
It's not. Remember, heat seeks cold. It will move toward it. People think that heat rises. Well, it does, if it is seeking cold. But heat can also go down to seek cold.
Also, interestingly, heat and cold don't mix. I could demonstrate that with a thermal camera, but perhaps that is a post for another day. Heat and cold … (60 comments)
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thermographer: After The "Repair"
- 10/23/10 12:08 AM
When water is getting into houses, it can cause damage to many things - drywall, structure, flooring, carpeting, etc. There is also residual damage - mold. Mold is not the problem - it is the indicator that there is a problem. Mold is a symptom. Mold cannot be cleaned up until the source of any water migration is removed.
THE BEST WAY TO DETECT HIDDEN OR RESIDUAL MOISTURE IS WITH AN INFRARED CAMERA. THE BEST WAY TO SEE HOW MUCH MOISTURE IS TO COUPLE THAT IR EXAMINATION WITH A MOISTURE METER.
In this house, mold was showing up in the corner … (19 comments)
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I was contacted recently by an engineering firm to help with a Transition Study on various condo buildings. This study is to turn the properties over to the residents, and their HOA management company. As such, they had never included a thermal image examination of any building. The purpose of the study is to address issues to everyone knows where they stand. Thermal imaging can help with that! These are buildings that house six condos, three downstairs and three upstairs. They are very nice looking.
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