Thermal Imaging Inspection Over Home Inspection

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

If you ever have purchased a house or are planning to purchase your very first home, no doubt you know it already that it is sensible in having a home inspection as one of the many conditions in the agreement of purchase and sale. You could as well wish to consider adding thermal imaging inspections also. One of the prime things which is required to be borne in mind during the purchase of a house is the atmosphere around the house. If it is a humid atmosphere, then be sure of the growth of molds within the house.

These are extremely toxic organisms and could turn out to be fatal in severe cases. There must be a control to their growth. Where mold growth control is concerned, there could be nothing better than Orlando mold inspection companies. These companies utilize several methods in keeping the indoor air quality of the house clean and fresh. Some of their methods include infrared inspections, indoor allergen testing and last but not the least, thermal imaging inspections.

Rather new to residential real estate market, the thermal imaging inspections might turn out to be a stable fixture for every real estate transaction in nearly the similar fashion as that of what traditional home inspections had been for a long time.

What are Thermal Imaging Inspections? Unlike the traditional home inspection that could be seen, thermal imaging inspections are able to debunk problems which remain hidden to the naked eye. Thermal imaging inspections make use of infrared cameras that provide very useful information with problems like those of energy loss, water leakage in the basements, wood destroying influx as well as electrical faults.

Mold Growth Traditional home inspectors would generally inform you that they are unaware of any mold issues beyond what could be found on the surface. In case there has been mold growth behind tiles or paneling for instance it might not be clearly visible on the surface and has every reason for going undetected. Thermal imaging inspections would show up the issue to you.

Water Leaks Often traditional home inspectors would find water leaks in ceilings or basements which could be seen on the surface. Thermal imaging inspections would reveal if the problem continues to exist as well as the source of the problem.

Energy Loss The effective use of energy tends to be the main concern for home buyers these days. Thermal inspections reveal where heat loss is taking place around doors, windows, attics and ceilings.

Thermal imaging inspections are able to detect the following problems which are not visible through some surface inspection:

• Congested electrical circuits • Hidden electrical faults which could cause fire • Unseen leaks in the roof • Un-insulated wires • Hidden leaks in plumbing setup • Any structural defect or problem • Leaks in Air conditioner compressor

If you’re close to purchasing a home of your own, it is possibly a great idea to consider adding thermal imaging inspections. For the majority of people, this could be the sole largest lifetime investment. This is very useful in knowing the actual condition of the home where a person intends to live for the rest of his life.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC• www.Microshield-ES.com