Using Thermal Infrared for Roof Leak Detection

Finding flat roof leaks

Many buildings, both commercial and residential, have flat or low sloped roofs. The roof coverings can be of many types.

• Tar and gravel
  • Consisting of a concrete or wood roof deck over which layers of heavy felt roofing paper are built up and sealed using hot tar. A top layer of gravel is usually added to act as a sunscreen.
• "Torch down"
  • A composition roofing material that comes in rolls and is applied in the long, overlapping strips. The backside of the material has an adhesive coating that is heated with a large propane torch to make it tacky so that it bonds to the surface it is being applied to as well as the adjacent strips of roofing.
• Membrane or diaphragm roof covering.
  • This type of roof covering consists of a single layer of EPDM material that is "heat welded" together at the seams. This type of roof may or may not have ballast in the form of gravel or rocks added to the top to prevent lifting or "ballooning" due to wind pressure passing over the roof.

Finding leaks.

Finding leaks in a flat roof system can be difficult. 
typically, physical inspection is performed to detect any obvious areas of concern such as unsealed roof penetrations by plumbing or other mechanical equipment, missing or damaged parapet flashings and physical damage or deterioration of the roof covering itself.

Usually, a leak will manifest itself as moisture intrusion on the interior finish surfaces. Unfortunately, there is often not a direct relationship between the location of the leak and where it shows up on the inside of the building. Water will obey the laws of gravity as well as take the path of least resistance and may travel many feet along structural components before dripping off onto the ceiling itself and alerting the occupant to a problem.

Barring the presence of any physically identifiable defects in the roof covering itself, finding the actual source of the leak can be quite difficult. The usual method of repair is to have the roofer reseal every possible leak source in the vicinity of the interior leak. Sometimes this is effective, often it's not. If the exact location of the leak cannot be identified, many roofers would just suggest a tear off and recover or just a recover of the entire roof. While this “shotgun” method may solve the problem, it's expensive, not very efficient and adds a lot of perfectly good roofing material to the landfill.  Not very “Green”!

Thermal Infrared Scanning to the Rescue!

Due to a property called "thermal mass" saturated roof decks and insulation will absorb and hold more heat from the sun during the day than the dry areas of the roof. This heat can be detected as infrared radiation and quickly spotted by a specialized, high tech Thermal Imager like the FLIR B-CAM used by The Magic Leak Finders.

Roof surface during the daylight hours absorbs heat.  The wet areas absorb more and hold it longer due to increased thermal mass of the wet materials.

At night, during a time of maximum heat difference between the cold sky and the warm roof deck, the wet areas will show up in the thermal imager as a “thermal hot-spot”.

The light yellow areas of this picture are the saturated areas of this roof system.

As the building owner, what does this mean for you?

By using a company like Thermal-Diagnostics & Magic Leak Finders to quickly identify the source of the leak, you could potentially save a significant amount of money by avoiding a complete roof replacement or recover when not necessary and only repair the areas that need it.

The cost difference can be significant.  Compare the cost of a full roof replacement or recover at $3 to $5 per square foot to the cost of a Thermal Roof Scan and repair of the leaking areas only.

In the Los Angeles, Ventura & Orange County areas, contact

Dana Bostick, Certified Thermographer

Technorati Tags: roof leaks,water leak,infrared scanning,roof replacement,thermal infrared scanning

I HATE NICE WEATHER!

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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

Big Electrical Scanning Job

Technorati Tags: thermal,infrared,planned maintenance,predictive maintenance,medical infrared,veternarian,energy savings,electrical infrared scanning

One of the many uses for Infrared Thermal Scanning is in the area of electrical systems. Thermal-Diagnostics just completed a large job for a Logistics company in Whittier, CA

The Job

Starting with a 750KVA transformer on the exterior of the building:

On through the main panel;

And to the various sub panels:

and Step-down transformers;

A fire pump system;

and an emergency diesel generator, I must have walked two miles to cover it all.

This was a typical electrical fault scan required for fire insurance rating by one of their customers.

The value of Thermal Scanning in a Preventative Maintenance program.

Thermal scanning has been a staple in the PM and PdM fields (Planned maintenance & predictive maintenance)  It is one of the tools used, along with ultrasound, vibration analysis and laser alignment to keep a factory's equipment running at top performance and to maintain reliability standards.

In a recent White Paper on PdM, an example was given of using IR Scanning to monitor the chain drive conveyor system in a GM V-8 engine assembly plant.  In the example, a bearing was spotted that was showing thermal indications of incipient failure due to lack of lubrication. Cost of "pro-active correction" = $80 for labor and materials.  Projected cost of allowing it go run to failure worked out to be over a million dollars in labor, materials and lost production!  Now, you tell me IR inspection it too expensive!

How can this be applied in a "residential" environment?

Thermal Scanning is not just for commercial or industrial applications. Its benefits are just as valid for a residence. Possibly more so since they often do not get the attention of a professional crew of maintenance personnel, working full time. Residential maintenance is more often "reactive" rather than pro-active, unfortunately.

Thermal Scans for Residential Properties:

• Moisture intrusion from plumbing and roof leaks.
• Missing or miss-installed insulation.
• Dangerous Electrical faults / fire hazards.
• Energy Loss scans for air infiltration/exfiltration & missing or damaged weather stripping.
• Failures/faults in embedded radiant heating systems.
• HVAC system air leaks and damaged or blocked condensers.
• Insect infestations. Got bees in your walls? I can see them!
• Concrete block wall (CMU's) grout missing.

Infrared is also used in Medical and Veterinarian diagnosis settings.  Did you know that a Medical Thermal Scan can detect breast cancer as soon as 10 years earlier than a conventional mammogram? 

Veterinarians use Thermal Scanning for horses, to diagnose soft tissue damage that does not show up on an X-Ray. 

The thermal scan will quickly show areas of excessive blood circulation (inflammation) or lack of blood flow due to soft tissue injury sustained by the animal.  Their only tools before the introduction of IR was observation and palpitation (physical manipulation). There are even training courses being offered to Thermographers now to learn this niche application of Infrared use.

Visit my Infrared related websites here:

Thermal-Diagnostics  &  Magic Leak Finders

GOT SHORTS?

I'M TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICAL SHORTS!

Short circuits, overloaded circuits, faulty breakers, over-fused panels and damaged wiring are one of the main causes of house fires.

According to the US Fire Administration, during a typical year, home electrical problems account for 67,800 fires, 485 deaths, and $868 million in property losses. Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances.

Most electrical fires result from problems with "fixed wiring" such as faulty electrical outlets and old wiring. Problems with cords and plugs, such as extension and appliance cords, also cause many home electrical fires.

In urban areas, faulty wiring accounts for 33% of residential electrical fires.

Many avoidable electrical fires can be traced to misuse of electric cords, such as overloading circuits, poor maintenance and running the cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.

The problem is, that you may never notice the problem lurking there, ready to flash into flame until it actually does. This is where Thermal Infrared scanning comes in. A thermal camera actually "sees" heat, not visible light like your eyes. Here is an example:

This is what an overheated wire looks like to the IR Camera

By scanning the home, including the main electrical panel, sub panels, outlets & switches and other electrical components, you can spot problems that can then be diagnosed by an electrician and corrected before it burns your house down.

During my regular "visual only, general home inspection" I often find older, outdated panels, a very old style of wiring called "Knob & Tube" and a lot of "homeowner" style additions to the electrical systems. These are all huge red flags! Older, outdated panels and knob & tube can prevent you from getting fire insurance in many cases. It is statistically proven that an under powered house of less than 100 amps of service is much more likely to have overloaded circuits. There may only be 4-6 circuits for the whole house with only one outlet in a room. (current requirements, in comparison, are for at least 7 circuits just in a kitchen alone)

Where are you going to plug in your big screen TV, the game system plus lamps, electrical heaters, computers, toaster oven etc. etc. You can see how it is so easy to overload that one plug by adding an extension cord or a multi-plug adapter to get more places to plug all this in.

Does this look familiar? This would add up to about a 30 amp draw on this 15 amp circuit! (not counting the "kitty" night light LOL)

Is your house still on glass fuses? That's like from ancient times! Back in those days they printed "In God We Trust" on the penny because people would place them under burnt out fuses to make the circuit work until they remembered to replace the fuse, if they ever did. This, in effect makes the circuit wire the fuse. Not a great idea. Red hot wires inside wood walls or in the attic with cardboard boxes stacked over them or, better yet, covered with insulation, is a great way to "remodel" the house a bit sooner than you had planned. This of course would be a "full, foundation up" job since that is all that would be left.

Have I convinced you that an IR scan for electrical problems of your house might be a good idea?

Dana Bostick Magic Leak Finders

Got Leaks?

GOT LEAKS?

I CAN HELP YOU FIND THEM!

Water leaks into your house can be a real pain! They can result in mold, wood rot, damaged paint and finishes, destroyed furniture, warped flooring and more. All amounting to potentially thousands of dollars in damage and repairs.

I am amazed that people actually know about an existing leak but do not actually do what is needed to locate and stop it. At least not effectively.

The last three Thermal Infrared Inspections I have done were to locate leaks that had gone on for years! One was a rather large medical office building that had been fighting roof leaks into examining rooms (making them unusable) for two years. They had several roofers out to find the leaks and make repairs. In a matter of a few hours, I located the source with an Infrared scan done from the interior and on the roof, marked the spots for repair and solved the ongoing problem to their satisfaction.

Another was a large three-building condo project in the Marina. Their problem had been going on for 11 YEARS! THIS IS TRULY NUTS! Two hours of work with my Thermal Infrared camera, combined with my knowledge of building science, revealed the problem to be located in some deteriorated flashing on the side wall of an upper floor that could not be reached except by erecting scaffolding. Infrared really does see what the naked eye cannot. The scan showed moisture saturation behind the wood exterior siding that they were not even aware of. I was able to show them the probable path the water was taking to get inside and show up where it eventually did. The entry point was over 20 feet away! No wonder they could not find it! "Roofers don't do siding". They had spent many thousands of dollars having a new "spray-on foam" roof installed in an attempt to resolve this ongoing problem. WRONG WHY!Unfortunately , leaks are often, incorrectly, attributed to a roof when the the roof is not the problem. "The right why leads to the correct solution" Infrared scanning, if done by an experienced operator, can produce the "right why" in many cases.

A final "case study" I will give is sort of funny. In this case, the homeowner had been fighting a leak problem for several years by doing his own diagnosis and then throwing a ton of money at the solution he though was the right one. He had a two story house with single story extensions on both sides. There were french doors onto these lower sections that were decks. He had correctly diagnosed that the decks were the source of the water but just not the exact right place. he spent many thousands of dollars putting new, high-tech" deck coatings on them only to have the leaking continue. He was rather upset to say the least. He called me out to do an Thermal Infrared scan to try to locate the problem. Now here is the funny part. I didn't even need the infrared scanner to locate the leaks! He was paying for the scan so I did "wave the camera around" a bit and verify the location of the moisture intrusion in the ceiling of the living room. I even found one spot he did not know about since it did not show up visually but was there on infrared and verified by moisture meter. His real problem was those damn french doors! (Side Note: they are almost always a problem) They had been installed without proper "pan flashing" under the threshold and they were too low, almost flush with the exterior deck level. Any exterior door needs to be installed properly, with at least 1-2 inches between the the bottom of the threshold and the deck/slab. They should have pan flashing under the threshold that prevents any water from moving to the interior and directs it back out doors. Once I had explained this concept to him, he saw where the true problem lay and resolved to have the doors properly re-installed.

So when you have a leak, it may not be coming from where you think it is! Get a Pro in to determine the "exact right why" and you have a good chance of handling the problem the first time.

Dana Bostick Magic Leak Finders

Are You Wasting Money on Energy?

Are You Wasting Money on Energy? (edit/delete)

ARE YOU WASTING MONEY ON ENERGY?

With energy costs soaring, every effort should be made to conserve the heat or cooling that you pay for. Energy efficiency is high on the list for saving money. Is your home energy efficient? Have you recently upgraded things like weather stripping, dual pane windows, attic insulation etc. How do you know if you actually got what you paid for?

I live in a rental house in Southern California. Recently, we have been experiencing a triple digit heat wave. This house was remodeled recently, including full attic insulation. Or so I thought. I have looked and there is insulation up there. As it turns out, it was poorly installed but I did not know this until I did a Thermal Scan of the walls and ceilings on a 100 degree day. I was shocked! They missed so many places it was ridiculous! I was loosing money trying to cool the house while the attic was pumping heat right back into the living space. Here are some of the thermal scans I took.

Ceiling can light

Can Light

These are scans of the can lights in the ceiling of my living room.(the lights were NOT on at the time) Notice the temperature of the target spot. The surrounding darker areas are where there is some insulation. The dark areas are 15-20 degrees cooler. Insulation really does work!

Missing insulation

More missing insulation

Here we see the effects of missing batt type ceiling insulation. Here the temperature difference is about 10 degrees.

Un-insulated Attic Hatch

This is the un-insulated attic access hatch. Notice the bar graph on the right side of the picture showing the temperature by color. Parts of this single layer drywall hatch cover were were about 106 degrees! Given that heat moves to cold, this was like running an electric heater in the ceiling while I was trying to cool the house with the A/C! No wonder my electric bill is so high!

Have you just had new insulation installed? Do you need more insulation? A Thermal Scan will tell you right away. Many insulation installers are sloppy and do a poor job. Hold their feet to the fire with the proof of a Thermal Scan to show where they did a crappy job and force them to do it right. Get what you paid for!

IMHO, blown in type insulation gives better coverage than often poorly installed batt type. Blown in has its issues too. Attics need ventilation. This is usually accomplished with peak or gable end vents and soffet or eve vents to provide flow through. The blown-in insulation can be improperly placed so as to block the soffet vents thus stopping the air flow. Sheet metal barriers are typically used to hold the insulation back from the vents to allow the proper air flow. TIP: install a thermostatically controlled power attic fan. These can drop the attic temperature by 20+ degrees on a hot day.

Another problem area for both batt and blown-in is can lights. Not all can lights are designed to be covered with insulation. Covering these can be a fire hazard and I often call this out during my home inspections. The sheet metal barriers are use here too to hold the insulation back 12 inches. This leads to the result you see in the first pictures above. The can lights leak heat into the conditioned space. The only fix for this is to replace the cans with a style that can be insulated.

Contact a local Thermographer and have a Thermal Scan of your interior walls and ceilings. Add insulation and then have the Thermographer scan again to verify that the job was actually done properly.

I hope this was useful information.

Thermal Guy

thermal inspection los angeles
Technorati Tags: Money,Save,Insulation,Infrared,heat,gain