It is estimated that up to 40 percent of commercial roofs will develop problems within the first year of service. The average life span of these roofs is seven to ten years, but they can last as long twenty years if they are correctly installed and property maintained.

An infrared inspection should become a part of your annual maintenance program.

Infrared imaging stands above all other methods in prolonging the life of a commercial roof. Infrared roof inspections are a non-contact and non-destructive testing method to determine active roof leaks. The infrared camera allows a professional thermographer to scan large areas of the roof from a distance. We also utilize the Tramex Dec Scanner™ that can detect as little as 3% moisture content in most roof systems, and detects moisture up to 3 inches below the roof surface. The combination of these to technologies provides accurate non-destructive results.

Traditional roof inspection methods require a grid type contact search (capacitance testing) that takes a long time to complete, and involves drilling actual holes (core sampling) in the roof membrane. This inspection method is definitely not recommended! Infrared roof inspections work on the principal that different materials in the roof have different thermal masses. In the daytime, the sun heats the roof structure. After the sun sets, the roof begins to cool. If there is a leak in the roofing membrane, the insulation inside the roof will become wet. The wet insulation has a higher thermal mass than the rest of the dry roof structure. Because of the difference, the “wet” areas will maintain heat energy longer than other areas providing the infrared inspector with a clear picture of the damaged area.