As a future homeowner who is looking for a new home, you know one of the steps in the process is to have a building inspection performed. You may not have dealt with this particular process in several years, which means you may only be used to standard inspections. A trend in building inspections is to now use thermal imaging to help focus on issues and problems that may otherwise go undetected. If you haven't had an inspection using thermal imaging, here are a few things you should know.

Reason for Thermal Imaging Inspections

One of the first things you may wonder about this type of building inspection process is why it is being done. The main reason for using thermal imaging technology during building inspections is to find energy leaks and spots that need better insulation or may be having energy issues. This could lead to upgrading appliances, insulation, or seals around the home. This may also let the building inspector make suggestions for waterproofing in the home due to temperature differences that show up on the thermal imaging scan.

Interior or Exterior

The first thing you will notice about a thermal imaging building inspection is that it is either done on the interior of the home or on the exterior of the home. Having both may result in an additional inspection fee. This choice is based on the weather conditions since rainy weather or cloudy weather may affect the way the thermal camera and technology reads the data.  

The key point to remember is that most building inspectors will opt for an internal imaging scan in order to ensure they can find all of the temperature differences in the house and what may be causing them. This will let them go from room to room and into trouble spots for energy loss, like the basement and attic.

Types of Equipment

You may notice your building inspector using several types of equipment for the thermal imaging scans. The first type is called a spot radiometer. It is used to focus in on one area at a time. For example, if the imaging picks up on an area with odd temperature ranges, the spot radiometer can be used to focus in on the particular area to determine if there is energy loss in that area and where it is. 

The thermal line scanner may also be used to scan temperature in a line or area like along ceilings and roof lines. The thermal imaging camera is the most common piece of equipment and gives a picture of the area that shows, through colour differences, any heat leaks in the home.

These are just three of the key points regarding thermal imaging and building inspections that you should know. If you have any questions, or if you want to use thermal imaging during your building inspection, contact your local inspector for pricing and scheduling.