When I was kid I wondered why Superman had x-ray vision.
I mean, if you're already a superhero, how much more advantage do you get from seeing through things? Isn't it enough to fly? To have the strength to bend steel?
Fast forward from my innocent youth to the present. Roofing technology isn't quite offering x-ray vision, but our vision is now superhuman thanks to improvements like infrared imaging, night vision, light amplification and other technologies which enable us to see things not visible to human eyesight. Thermal imaging cameras are increasingly accessible: they can be purchased for between a few hundred dollars and $10,000. The features and tools will vary but the bottom line is: They allow you to look at a surface and see things you cannot see with the naked eye.
At All Elements we have a thermal imaging camera and a Certified Thermographer. The camera comes with all kinds of nifty things like a hydrometer, an infrared remote thermometer and the ability to record Bluetooth audio while you take your images. But the best tool is our Certified Thermographer: a trained professional who handles the camera and interprets the images.
Roofers used to rely on their senses to make repairs: They'd be limited by what they could see and feel. However, it's not always possible to see the source of a leak. If you've experienced a frustrating leak which refuses to respond to any repair attempts, there's a good chance thermal imaging could get to the bottom of the problem.
Would you be happy to spend a few hundred dollars to determine that the prospective $6,000 repair would NOT have done the job, and a totally different $1,000 repair was the way to go?
That's what happened recently to one of our clients when we concluded the water on the bottom floor was from a bad hot water register and not from the foundation. The clients were prepared to excavate along the foundation, then inspect and repair the below-ground waterproofing on a block wall. Instead, our Certified Thermographer identified a leak in the hot water line.
The cost of thermal imaging is the same as one of our service calls. In the right situation, it can be much more cost-effective than having service technicians do a visual and physical examination of the problem. If you've had a roofer search for a leak unsuccessfully, give us a call. Our Thermographer may be able to find the leak--faster, cheaper and more accurately.
Check out these cool photos illustrating the superpower of thermography. While the photos may be blurry and indistinct to the untrained eye, they speak volumes to our valuable Certified Thermographer, and they can save property owners a big, expensive headache.
