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Identify roof problems early with an infrared roof moisture survey.

Six Ways You Can Help Your Commercial Roof Survive the Winter

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Winter is finally here, which means it’s time to take some precautions to keep your commercial building in top shape. It’s easy to overlook roof maintenance since it’s essentially out of sight, out of mind. However, if a winter storm hits, you’ll wish you had done some preventive maintenance.

General maintenance workers can’t always spot vulnerable areas in a roof. With the help of infrared detection technology, you can rest easy knowing the roof is in good shape. Here are six ways to ensure your commercial roof can survive the harsh winter season.

Inspect the HVAC System

All the ductwork, housings, pipes and condensation lines need to be checked closely. Infrared detection technology can help you see if there are any leaks or holes, which could mean condensation might leak to where it shouldn’t. Since the HVAC system and the roof work in conjunction with each other, inspecting your HVAC ductwork should be at the top of your list this winter.

Remove All Debris

Old autumn leaves need to be removed as quickly as possible. Not only does debris on your roof create unnecessary weight, it can also clog water drainage routes and potentially damage your roof as a result.

Check the Attic Insulation

Since heat rises, you may be unnecessarily heating up your roof if you have poor insulation in your attic. This could cause snow to melt at a quicker pace and also cause a freezing, melting and refreezing phenomenon. This could be potentially serious to the health of your roof. This is just another reasonit’s advised to do infrared testing to avoid costly shutdowns.

Trim Nearby Tree Branches

You should always keep tree branches trimmed away from your commercial roof, but doing so is especially important in the winter. The tree’s limbs could fall off and damage the roof or even rub a hole in it with constant contact. Plus, small animals will be looking for a warm place during the winter so overhanging branches give them easy access to your roof to potentially find holes to get into your building, leading to a new problem altogether.

Ensure Water Can Flow Easily Off the Roof

Any time water flow access is restricted, you’re setting yourself up for commercial roof failure. An infrared roof moisture survey can tell where water has been building up and where obstructions are. The last thing you want to happen is for water to build up on your roof or gutters and then freeze.

Schedule a Professional Inspection

The best thing you can do before the first winter storm is commission a professional infrared roof moisture survey. Peace of mind goes a long way in business, and knowing your commercial roof is in good shape prior to winter will be one less thing you have to worry about.

When you’re ready to have your infrared roof moisture survey completed, give us a call.

Detect small leaks with an infrared roof moisture survey.

What Causes Flat Roofs to Leak?

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Just because a roof is flat doesn’t mean it will never leak. In fact, a flat roof will leak just as much as any other roof since the determining factors are mostly the same. Small leaks can cause big problems in the short-term and long-term for many businesses. That’s why most business owners pay for infrared testing to avoid costly shutdowns. Infrared technology can confirm where leaks happen. Here are a few causes you need to be aware of.

Poor Drainage

Flat roofs require some type of drainage system in place. Water sitting on a roof for an extended amount of time can do some major damage to the roof’s structure. Eventually, the pressure from the water could cause the roof to structurally fail, or at the least, start leaking. By conducting a simple infrared roof moisture survey, you can see where your roof is vulnerable and take action to fix it.

Harsh Environments

If your business is located in an area with harsh weather, you need to take proactive steps to ensure your roof is protected. Even something as simple as high winds could cause your roof to start leaking. However, an infrared roof moisture survey can display weak spots in your roof. These weak spots could become faulty during harsh weather so you can then take steps to have those spots repaired.

Faulty Seals Around Roof Penetrations

Air vents and other penetrations may come through a flat roof for ventilation. Sometimes the seals around those penetrations need to be repaired or replaced. The worst thing that can happen is having moisture leak through those areas since electrical equipment could be nearby. In this case, you definitely don’t want to experience what happens with an electric systems failure.

Age of the Roof

An aged flat roof can easily leak, thanks to time, the sun and other elements beating down on its surface. That’s why it’s important to conduct infrared testing to avoid costly shutdowns. By performing these tests and routine maintenance, business owners will be able to determine when it’s time to repair or replace a roof.

At Infrared Consulting Services, we’ve seen it all when it comes to roof leaks. If you think you have a roof leak or just want to have an infrared thermography test conducted, contact us.

Infrared Consulting Services infrared roof moisture survey

A Brief Guide to Roof Leaks: What Causes Them and What Can Be Done About Them Pt. 2

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If you only examine the surface of your roof to determine if there are any leaks, you may be overlooking some important factors. Sometimes a roof leak isn’t evident until you go deeper and get an infrared roof moisture survey completed. Many times these surveys can detect a leak before they even occur, saving your business a lot of time, money and unnecessary headaches. Part two of this two-part series discusses the infrared inspection process.

Infrared Scanning Process

The average person will struggle when trying to learn the science behind the infrared thermography process. Instead, business owners just need to look at it as a more in-depth way of seeing what’s going on with their commercial roof.

Infrared cameras and equipment measure temperatures of the roof to determine the presence of moisture. Discrepancies with the temperature of one area compared to adjacent areas could determine the presence of moisture and a possible leak.

The infrared scanning process usually occurs in the evening hours when the roof has been exposed to sunlight for an extended amount of time. Sunlight causes the roof to heat up, making the temperature rise in areas with trapped moisture. Without the use of infrared cameras, it’s impossible to see or feel the temperature differences in most cases.

When to Use Infrared

You can certainly use infrared consulting services to conduct a roof survey when you’ve discovered a leak on your own. However, you would be better off having an infrared expert come out before it gets to that point. Doing so will help you save some money and prevent major damage.

The average business owner may think they can’t detect a roof leak until it rains. However, with the technology of infrared thermography, roof moisture can be detected at any time. There’s never a bad time to get an infrared roof inspection.

Preventative Maintenance

Having an infrared roof moisture survey completed frequently will help prevent major damage from roof leaks. The infrared inspection process can take a little bit of time, but it rarely interrupts your day-to-day business operations. Once you have the results of the inspection in your hands, you can determine whether the roof needs to be repaired immediately or not. Preventative maintenance goes a long way in protecting the integrity of your roof, but you may not know what needs attention unless you have an infrared test conducted.

It’s difficult to predict when a roof will begin leaking, so that’s why infrared technology should be used on a regular basis. Even the experts at Infrared Consulting Services have a difficult time identifying problem areas with the naked eye. That’s why the importance of infrared can’t be understated.

If you need to schedule a roof inspection, or would like more information about the inspection process, be sure to contact us today.

Infrared Consulting Services infrared thermography

A Brief Guide to Roof Leaks: What Causes Them and What Can Be Done About Them Pt. 1

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The best way to prevent roof leaks is to know what causes them in the first place. Sometimes a roof leak can be a quick and easy fix, but other times it can take a significant amount of effort, even for professionals. It’s always advisable to commission infrared consulting services to conduct a routine survey of your commercial roof, just as a preventative maintenance measure. Some problems with your roof may be easy to identify, but some may not be. In this first part of our two-part guide, we will look at some of the causes of commercial roof leaks.

Standing Water

Many commercial buildings, especially older ones, have flat roofs. Unless the proper drainage system is in place, those roofs are prone to standing water. It’s easy to guess what standing water can do to a roof. The sheer weight of the water alone can compromise the integrity of the roof. If that’s your main problem, you don’t even need an infrared thermography test to determine what needs to be fixed.

Roof Penetrations

Objects like drains, pipes, vents, gas lines and HVAC units could penetrate through the roof membrane. Any object cutting through the roof could cause a roof leak. When you have an infrared roof moisture survey, many times the source of the leak is identified near a penetration object. These objects require frequent maintenance to ensure the water seal is strong and effective.

Membrane Damage

A roof membrane’s main function is to prevent water from coming into the interior of the building. Membrane damage generally isn’t a problem until the building begins to age. After the sun and weather beat down on the roof for many years, it eventually will begin to crack or split. When this happens, it’s probably time to get in touch with an infrared consulting services professional to determine the severity of the damage and how to fix the roof most efficiently.

Old Age

When you have an infrared roof moisture survey completed, the professional will likely ask how old the roof is. A roof isn’t going to last forever, so any kind of water leak or moisture penetration could simply be because the roof is old. If the roof as a whole doesn’t look structurally sound enough to prevent water from entering, it may be time to replace it completely rather than just patch up current problem areas.

These are just a few common causes to roof leaks, but there are many others as well. Part two of this guide will discuss the inspection process, but feel free to get in touch with us if you would like more information about the causes of commercial roof leaks.

Find hidden moisture with infrared thermography.

How Infrared Thermography Can Find Your Hidden Roof Moisture

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One of the scary things about owning a business is not knowing what’s going on without your knowledge or control. You generally know how your employees are performing, but what you may not realize is your building is slowly deteriorating. Roof moisture is the cause of some costly maintenance fees, which can do some serious damage to your bottom line. The bad part about it is you can’t always detect roof moisture on your own. Hiring a certified thermographer is one of the best ways to prevent a larger issue from happening with your roof. Here is how it works.

Professionals Know Where to Look

With the help of infrared thermography and experience, professionals know exactly where to look to find moisture. There are many types of roofs, and moisture doesn’t get trapped in the same places in all of them. When you have an infrared roof moisture survey conducted, the operator will identify the problem areas using their expertise and the technology available to them.

Distinguishes Wet Spots from Dry Spots

The process of radiational cooling occurs when the sun radiates heat onto the roof during the day and the heat goes back into the atmosphere at night. This process is important for infrared detection technology because wet spots in the roof containing moisture will remain warmer much longer than dry spots.

The infrared thermography equipment detects the heat distribution on the roof of your building and can determine if a particular location is warmer than the others. Warmer spots are clear indicators of moisture. Once the complete analysis is done on your roof, the expert will recommend whether they think it’s time to take action to correct the problem now or if it can wait until another time. However, when you’re dealing with moisture where it’s not supposed to be, it’s usually better to take action immediately.

Finding hidden roof moisture requires an experienced professional to conduct an infrared inspection. Business owners are often surprised their building has hidden moisture since there usually aren’t any visible signs. The importance of catching the problems early can’t be understated.

For more information on the process of finding hidden roof moisture in your building, contact us. We have a staff of professionals ready to answer any questions you have and to provide you with the preventive maintenance service you need to keep your business flourishing without unnecessary repair costs.

Detect issues early with an infrared roof moisture survey.

What Happens During an Infrared Roof Moisture Survey?

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If you’re thinking about scheduling an infrared roof moisture survey for your company’s building, you’re making a good decision. A moisture inspection is considered preventive maintenance because it can point out potential problems before a major issue arises. Many business owners overlook the importance of preventive maintenance, but a moisture inspection is definitely not something to take lightly. You may be wondering exactly how the process works and what benefits you get from it. We’ve outlined the process so you’ll be confident when the work is being done.

The Process

An infrared roof moisture survey uses a diagnostic test tool to locate visible heat, which comes from moisture potentially leaking under the roof of your building. During the daytime, the heat from the sun warms the roof. At night, the heat radiates back into the atmosphere. If an area of your building’s roof is wet, it will have a higher mass and, as a result, will retain the heat for a longer duration.

Certified thermographers use their instruments to detect the differences in those dry and wet spots. When they come across wet spots, they can identify them as problem areas to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Recommended Corrective Actions

It’s better to do a roof-wide survey to identify potential problems rather than do a roof-wide repair when the problem has become too big to be corrected in individual spots. A team of certified thermographers will provide your company with results of the infrared moisture scan and recommend actions to be taken. You may only have some surface moisture, but you could also have moisture trapped deep in the roofing system to cause larger issues.

If you’ve waited too long to have a survey completed, you may not be happy with the recommendation you receive. However, if you schedule a survey periodically, chances are you’ll only have to do minor repairs on different parts of the roof.

When you’re looking for infrared inspection services for your business, contact us for more information. We can provide you with more in-depth information about your specific roof type and what we typically find when we perform roof moisture inspections. Once you understand the long-term benefits of scheduling a survey, you’ll quickly realize it’s worth the upfront cost to do it routinely.

Check the integrity of your roof with an electrical infrared survey.

How to Safeguard Your Roof Against Damaging with an Electrical Infrared Survey

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Guard your roof with an electrical infrared survey.

An electrical infrared survey helps guard your roof.

Check the integrity of your roof with an electrical infrared survey.

Have you considered an electrical infrared survey to check your roof?

For building owners and property managers, sometimes a lesson in roof damage is learned the hard way. Most assume if you have insurance, recouping your losses will be an easy process. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. You can be in for a long fight. The good news is there’s a simple solution: always document the condition of your roofing system. Here are a few tips to ensure that process is thorough and effective.

Sloped Versus Flat Roofs

If you have a sloped roof, you must document its condition from every angle. Should something happen, you will be able to prove what the condition of your roof was prior to the damage. Additionally, hire a professional roof consultant, architect or engineer to take stock of your roofing system assembly. Based on their findings, you can make any necessary changes or repairs. Of course, this should be done prior to hurricane or tornado season. Make sure you document all inspections and subsequent repairs.

Flat roofs have a different set of demands. First, you need to have a roof moisture survey done by a certified, licensed roof testing company. This will give you scientific data to demonstrate the condition of your roof. If something happens to the roof, the insurance company should reimburse you based on this professional data gathering. Since the information is from a roof testing company, it is considered unbiased and more credible, allowing the insurance company to move more quickly.

Testing for Moisture

No matter how water has invaded the roof assembly, the purpose of an infrared roof moisture survey is to locate and document it. The infrared scanning cameras used in these surveys are sophisticated and can detect wet areas within your roofing system. By knowing how much of the roof is wet, you can make an educated decision about maintenance and possible repair.

Be Proactive

No matter what type of roofing system you have, the best approach is to be proactive. Your quick action will make it clear to the insurance company you are doing your part to maintain your roof. Lots of business owners mistakenly assume if the roof is only a few years old, there is no need for an evaluation, but this could not be further from the truth. Spending a relatively small amount of money upfront will save an untold amount in the end.  It’s up to you to be vigilant about documentation and upkeep. Whether you choose infrared problem prevention or electrical infrared survey, it’s up to you to be diligent!

Roof moisture is easy to prevent when you take the right steps. Contact us today to learn how our infrared survey experts can keep a small amount of roof moisture from becoming a disaster. Our experienced technicians can help you detect any moisture problem before it’s too late.

Identify problems early with an infrared moisture survey.

When Is the Best Time for a Roof Inspection?

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Find trouble spots with infrared inspection services.

Infrared inspection services can show you trouble spots.

Identify problems early with an infrared moisture survey.

An infrared moisture survey can identify problems early.

If you are a long-time property owner, you are probably well aware of the consequences that come with your commercial facility changing with age. Many issues gradually begin to crop up over time, some small and some piling into much larger issues requiring more attention and money than you ever imagined. You may be expecting this to unfold with your equipment more than anything else. However, the structure of your facility requires just as much attention and care as the machinery your commercial facility shelters.

This holds especially true for your facility’s roof, which much like the rest of your building’s structure, is highly vulnerable to the elements. Weather can chip away at your roof over time, leading to leaks and other forms of decay. An infrared roof moisture survey can help with the problem, but figuring out when you should seek out an inspection can be perplexing.

So When Should I Request a Roof Inspection?

There are, in fact, several conditions under which it is best to hire some form of infrared inspection services. They include:

  1. At three year intervals. This is a rule of thumb for the general well being of your roof and is one of the best methods for detecting problems early. Consider it part of your building’s maintenance, much like cleaning it and looking after your building’s equipment. If you make inspections part of your building’s routine, it will be much easier to catch any issues before they have the chance to unfold into something far worse and more costly for you and your business.
  2. As part of your building’s routine surface inspections. It never hurts to be as thorough as possible. There is no strict time limit for this because the time between inspections generally depends on the condition of your commercial property and the type of work performed there. We recommend you follow at least the above suggestion unless your surface inspections take place in shorter spans of time.
  3. Before the most severe seasonal weather arrives and again once it passes. The more severe the weather in your area is, the more damage your roof may take. This goes for heat and snow because both present their own detriments to roofing structures. Thermal issues, normally caused by the quick transition between summer heat and rain, and UV radiation can wreak havoc during summer. However, during winter, your roof becomes vulnerable to storms and the winter cold. It is best to make sure your roof is equipped to handle the weather, and once the seasons change, take care of any damage done.

At Infrared Consulting Services, we specialize in the performance and science of infrared thermography. We can help you maintain your roof’s health, as well as inform you of any developing issues you should look into. For more information on what we can do to help maintain your commercial property, contact us.

find issues with infrared inspection services.

Why an Infrared Roof Moisture Survey Is Important

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Problems always seem to occur where and when you least expect them. This holds true for every aspect of life, from your health to your relationships to your workplace. However, all too often we do nothing about a problem until it surfaces in ways we can’t help but notice. If you’ve ever dealt with a roof leak or any other roofing problem, you know the stress and effort involved in getting it repaired. However, there is a way to detect problems with your roof before they escalate: through an infrared roof moisture survey. You may not have heard of such an inspection procedure, but they are worth investing in for the well-being of your property and your peace of mind.

What is an Infrared Roof Moisture Survey?

It’s one of the most non-intrusive procedures you can use for a building inspection. Infrared roof moisture surveys evaluate the temperatures circulating throughout your facility and create a report based on these findings. If the insulation in your roofing is wet, it will pull in far more heat than it should, especially at night. A roof moisture survey will be able to pick up on this abnormal amount of heat, allowing inspectors to identify problem areas and to notify you of the sections that need the most attention.

Locate problems with the help of an infrared roof moisture survey.

An infrared roof moisture survey can help you locate problems.

Infrared Roof Moisture Surveys Are Cost-Effective

As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. While a roof moisture survey may sound expensive, its cost will never compare to what you will have to pay to repair damages to your roofing. Roof moisture surveys are conducted in a safe, non-invasive manner. They give you the full scope of your roof’s condition so you can make the most informed decision about what needs to be done for your building’s maintenance. A professional thermography inspection will help lengthen the lifespan of your current roofing materials. I can also provide clues to any potential problems before they degrade any further.

What Will Happen If I Don’t Get a Roof Moisture Inspection?

If you don’t get a roof inspection performed on a regular basis, you risk having to replace your entire roof due to soggy insulation. Insulation that has become too wet can also lead to other problems besides a costly roof repair, such as:

  • Extra weight for your facility to support
  • Potential harm to the interior of your facility that can damage your equipment and even cause accidents for your employees
  • An increased rate of decay for your facility’s structural deck
  • Higher energy bills, leading to additional expenses
  • The growth of mold in your facility, which can spread in the air and create a breathing risk

At Infrared Consulting Services, we specialize in infrared inspection services. We would be happy to conduct an inspection on your property. We make it our business to detect potentially devastating structural issues in your place of business. Then help you tackle them in the most efficient manner possible. Contact us today for more information!

How Can An Infrared Roof Moisture Survey Keep Your Business Dry?

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Flat roofing systems often make it more difficult to detect moisture issues, which can have a negative effect on the rest of the structure. This makes getting an infrared roof moisture survey, using infrared thermography, a necessity before you replace the roof or even before you choose to purchase a building. Armed with this information, you will be able to choose whether you need to go through the expensive process of replacing this type of roof.

Identify areas of moisture with infrared thermography.

Infrared thermography shows areas of moisture.

What Happens to Your Roof?

Over time, the waterproofing layers installed on the roof can grow thin or may develop cracks that let moisture in. This can create a vast number of issues with the rest of your structure, many of which will be difficult to notice until the damage is extreme. Some of the issues these moisture leaks can cause include:

  • Interior damage to the building
  • Hazardous conditions for occupants
  • Mold growth
  • Corrosion of metal components
  • Degradation of the building
  • Added weight to the structure

Many of these issues may not be evident in their early stages, which makes infrared inspection services a necessity, especially before you purchase a building.

Infrared Thermography

When you get an infrared roof moisture survey, you will learn where moisture exists in a roof and whether the issue requires repairs or a full replacement of the roof. This non-invasive test uses infrared technology to measure the temperature of the roof to map it out thermally. Areas with higher temperatures are more likely to contain moisture than cooler spots. This is because higher density materials retain the heat from the sun for longer.

Identify Trouble Areas

The best part about using infrared thermography to inspect a flat commercial roof for damage is it can quickly and easily determine the exact locations of issues. Because a full roof replacement is such a costly job, it’s best for businesses to get repairs done first, if possible. Infrared inspection services can provide a clear map of where the problem areas lie and how large they are so roofing contractors can evaluate the condition of the roof and determine if repair is the best option. This ensures businesses don’t spend unnecessary funds on a replacement.

If you’re considering buying a commercial building with a flat roof or you already own one, an infrared roof moisture survey is an absolute necessity. These surveys will use the latest in infrared thermography to identify areas of the roof that may contain excess moisture that can lead to structural issues if not resolved. When you can clearly identify problem areas, you will be able to make the right decision regarding whether a replacement is necessary or a repair will provide the changes needed to protect the structure of your building.

If you’re interested in infrared inspection services, contact us. Our experienced team of professionals can inspect your roof and supply a thorough report to help you make the right decisions.