I’m kidding right?
As I sit here in SoCal, enjoying another balmy 80+ degree day, it is hard to believe that the cold weather will soon be upon us. We are already getting a taste of it. The night time temperatures are dropping into the low 50’s and rain is predicted for the end of the week with temperatures in the low 60’s during the day. I guess that is our version of winter. I have spent time (10 years) in the Sierras where it is already getting below freezing at night. Soon there will be snow on the ground up there.
Why do I hate nice weather? (from a business standpoint)
Although we have all become accustomed to “another day in paradise” climate living here in Southern California, it does get cold and nasty now and then. That is when my Thermal-Diagnostics business really takes off! After the last rain we had a few weeks ago, I booked three thermal inspections to find moisture leaks. That is one of the mainstays of my business at my MagicLeakFinders.com website. I do a lot of this type of Infrared Scanning and I’ve been very successful at finding the leaks that other can’t.
How does this work?
Infrared has the ability to “see” in a different wavelength of light or radiation that the human eye cannot. Due to the physics and thermodynamics of various materials, the camera can see the heat differences between wet and dry materials.
Here are a couple of examples of wet roofs.
Infrared scanning is not only for roof work though. I can find moisture intrusion inside the house as well. Many times moisture does not leave any visible signs on the walls or ceilings but the infrared camera cannot be fooled. It will “see” the damp areas due to the heat difference created between the wet and dry materials.
Condensation is a problem.
There is a physical property of air called its “Dew Point”. The dew point is the temperature at which moisture contained in air will condense (change state) and become liquid rather than vapor.
If warm, moisture laden air, comes in contact with a cooler surface that is at the dew point temperature for that humidity level, it will change state from vapor to liquid. This is what causes the condensation on the inside of your windows and on that cold drink glass. Okay, so how is that a problem you ask? Condensation on the windows can run down and pool on the sills and other parts of the window causing wood rot or other damage. It’s the condensation in other, unseen places that is the bigger problem. If you have a central heating and cooling system, during the cooling season, un-insulated or improperly insulated metal parts of it can get cool enough to cause condensation on them. This can drip down and saturate building insulation or soak through sheetrock ceilings damaging paint and causing stains and is a target for mold. during the heating season, leaky joints in the ductwork can introduce warm, moist air into the attic, causing moisture to condense on the cooler portions of the attic framing and roof deck. One big problem I often find is bathroom exhaust fans being vented into the attic rather than to the exterior. Big No-No!
Where does this moisture come from?
We provide it by just living in the house! It comes from cooking, bathing, even breathing. We actually pump a significant amount of moisture into our own environments. In the “old days” when houses were not as well sealed as they are today, the natural air changes that occurred due to leaky windows, doors and general construction flaws pretty much took care of this problem for the most part. Now we are all about being “energy efficient” and we have created a whole new problem, the “tight house”. The air changes that used to occur naturally do not happen and we now need to create them artificially with proper ventilation systems. When you exhaust air from a building, it creates a negative pressure difference inside the house. This increases the flow of cold, outside air into the house though poorly weather sealed windows and doors. While you are paying to heat or cool your house, Mother Nature is fighting you!
The laws of thermodynamics tell us that heat always flows toward cold. If you are heating your house, the heat is trying to get out to where it is cold. If you are cooling your house, the heat is trying to get back in. By using thermal infrared scanning, Magic Leak Finders can locate those air leaks so you can seal them up and save some money. The money you save on energy bills can often cover the costs of using the service within a few months. After that, it’s all gravy!
Contact Dana at MagicLeakFinders.com or call me at 818-470-3909
1 comment:
One of the impressive title you have for your post.
Roof Leaks
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