How Infrared Scans Can Save You Money

WHAT IS AN INFRARED SCAN? Infrared scanning employs the use of a thermal imaging camera to measure a roof’s moisture levels. It reveals underlying damage invisible to the naked eye.

A roof infrared moisture scan will pin-point the areas of your roof where moisture is present allowing tremendous cost savings on unnecessary replacement.

Scans must be performed at dusk – after the heat of the day has left it’s mark on the roof’s surface.  At dusk, the membrane cools down, but because water has more mass than air, any wet spots beneath the membrane retain heat longer.

Professional equipment (like the thermal imaging camera seen above) is required and Thermography training is essential. The Infrared Training Center offers courses to ensure industry standards are met. Training for specific use is important, as a number of factors can result in a misread of the temperature results–such as heat from duct work, thermal shorts in the insulation, and shading/dark spots on the roof.

A Certified Thermographer is trained to understand the “why” behind their camera’s reading and confirm this information through both destructive and non-destructive testing. Most frequently, the Inspector will (non destructively) mark the wet areas for their crews to return and perform repair work.

HOW CAN INFRARED SCANS SAVE YOU MONEY? Infrared scans are proactive: having one performed on your roof as a preventative measure can reveal insignificant damage before it becomes a major expense (should minor issues compromise the entire roof system over time).

Additionally, if the roof’s components have been damaged, infrared scans offer the potential cost savings of not having to tear off and replace the entire roof substrate and replacing only what is wet/damaged.

Of course, determining the amount of replacement required directly correlates to the cost effectiveness/ROI of an infrared survey. If 75%+ of your roof is saturated, its likely you’ll just want to replace the entire thing.

50% or less [damage] is a sweet spot for significant savings! Why replace the entire roof when (for example) only 30% needs it?

A knowledgeable Roofing professional will tell you the cost difference between roof restoration (including minor tear out + restoring only marked areas of the roof) and full roof replacement.

Does this sound like a solution to your roof’s problems? If so, Spray-Tec has two Level One Thermographers on staff ready to assist you!

After the infrared is performed, we will provide you a report of our findings, along with the most cost effective plan for “moving forward.”

If you would like to schedule an infrared survey, contact us HERE.