What Can Infrared Roof Inspections Show Me About My Building?
The age of technology has advanced business and effective problem-solving in a way that is best described as immeasurable. In most cases, these advancements make day-to-day life easier. The commercial roofing industry has taken notice and is employing new technologies to create more effective industry practices.
Perhaps the most exciting roofing technology used now to detect roof leaks is infrared scanning via drone flight. An undertaking that was once equivalent to finding needles in a haystack has become more comparable to shooting fish in a barrel.
Diagnosing Commercial Roof Leaks with an Infrared Roof Inspection
Commercial roof leaks are especially difficult to identify because leaks will show inside the building in a completely different location than where the water is penetrating the roof’s surface. Water can penetrate one layer of the roof and travel to an opening 20 – 30 feet away before entering the building.
In addition to the difficulty of locating intrusion points, leaking areas are not always visible to the naked eye. A leak can stem from a pinhole in a roof that human eyes are unable to detect. This results in roofers having to guess where the leak is. Subsequently, repair prices are higher because most roofers try to “overkill” an area to repair it in hopes that they hit the failing area.
How Infrared Roof Scans Work
When moisture penetrates a roof’s surface, it begins to saturate the layers of insulation under the roof. This creates a unique signature that can be detected using infrared imaging. During the daytime, the sun heats the roof, as well as the moisture that is trapped beneath its surface.
Once the sun begins to set, the temperature of the roof begins to drop. Though the temperature of the roof begins to fall, the saturated materials under its surface retain their heated temperature for a longer period of time.
By flying a drone equipped with an infrared camera, during the evening, we are able to see these areas that are still saturated through thermal scanning. Because the saturated portions of the roof retain their heat longer, it creates an image discrepancy only visible using infrared cameras.
This real-time information allows us to make an accurate decision when it comes to repairing or replacing the roof, in a much more efficient manner.
Our Experience with Infrared Roof Inspections
Parsons Roofing Company employs industry experts in assessing roof leaks through our infrared scanning services. Contact us today for a roof inspection of your building and take the proper steps to ensure your roof is protected.
