Thermal Imaging of Roofs

The best time to undertake thermal imaging of roofs is at the end of a long sunny day, when the sun has just gone down.

Over the course of the day, the roof will have heated up evenly, and dry and wet areas will have reached equilibrium. After the sun sets, the dry areas will cool much faster, and the areas of wet insulation will remain warmer, showing as red.

In this thermal image, moisture can be seen between sheets of insulation. We were confident enough in our findings to recommend the client cut a series of test cores, and this proved perfect correlation of dampness to hot spots.

In this case, the roofing contractor had not sealed the edge of the roof at the upstands around the parapet, and this allowed moisture in. We had earlier conducted an air tightness test on this building in Penicuik, just south of Edinburgh. That test had achieved good results, and the only remedial work that was required to the building was to cut out sections of wet insulation, and address the area of water ingress.

Time on site 2 x 6 hour surveys, from 1 hour before sunset to 5 hours after, and one day preparing the report. Contactor agreed to cover all the costs of the repair and our survey. Happy customer and a dry, thermally efficient roof!