Regular roofing inspections are an important part of ensuring your commercial building’s integrity. There are a lot of different things that may go into your roof inspection, from examining its structural integrity to verifying the workmanship that went into it. While much of this inspection may be done through simple visual and manual investigation, some of it may be assisted by infrared technology.
You’ve probably heard of infrared technology; when it comes to roofing, the technology is used in order to create thermal images. This has a dual purpose. First, it can become clear if the roof has hot or cold points that aren’t easily detectable by touch or sight. Second, thermal imaging can point out spots in your roof where moisture is gathering.
While infrared technology can be useful for uncovering hidden flaws in your roof, it can’t be used on every roof, nor can it be used all the time. Weather and the type of membrane can make infrared scanning impossible.
The roof needs to have the right conditions, too. As you can imagine, you’ll need a dry roof - when there’s surface moisture, you may get an incorrect reading. The technology also works best with roofs that are flat or only have very slight slopes.
More often than not, the infrared inspection will be done in the evening. During the day, the sun can heat up a roof to the point that the thermal imaging becomes inaccurate - a clear night is best. For daytime scans, a roof scanner for moisture measuring is used more often. These devices can detect areas of elevated moisture, but aren’t effective for finding thermal leaks.
The main benefit of infrared technology is that it’s entirely unobtrusive. There’s no need to start demolishing your roof in order to find issues. The scan is performed using a drone - that gives your roofer a clear image of the entire roof.
With that scan, you can find all kinds of useful, actionable information. The scan has to be evaluated by professionals, of course - not everyone can properly read the thermal imagery.
You might find you need to replace wet insulation, or address areas of heat loss. No matter what it is you do find with the thermal imaging, know that it can be repaired.
We offer thermal imaging through our infrared technology and other services related to commercial roofing Winnipeg can trust. Get in touch with us today.