I get asked this question a lot and unfortunately there isn't a sure way to guarantee that it doesn't but most home inspectors are trained to look for the tell-tell signs of water damage. Now if you want to go one step further you can hire a Certified Thermographer.
A thermal scan of a house uses a high end infrared camera to provide valuable information to the prospective buyer like missing insulation in walls and ceilings and possible moisture damage inside walls.
Flat roofs?? Not a problem, infrared is a non- invasive way to find out if there is any moisture trapped under the roof membrane without cutting holes in the suspected areas and possibly not finding anything which is sometimes the case. The thermal scan of a property is usually an additional service to the regular home inspection. The camera can be used after a home inspection, to confirm a suspected problem.
You don't have to be a prospective Buyer to benefit from a thermograph scan. Another great application is to determine where energy loss occurs in the house and actually pinpoint areas where you are gaining heat from outside and loosing your efficiency of the air conditioner. By doing a thermal scan of the attic space, leakage in air ducts and duct connections and be located.
You might know of someone who has had water damage in the past. With this nifty device owners can find out if the remediation (drying out) was properly done. They might want to know how bad the extent of the damage was/is and if the water traveled up the wall.
There are several organizations that certify inspectors to become Thermographers. To find one in your area checkout the following links:
http://www.iact-thermography.org/
Sample SCAN:
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