Leaks are your roof’s number one enemy, and if you don’t catch them early, they can result in the need for extensive repairs or even roof replacement. You have a couple of options for taking care of your roof. You can take a wait-and-see approach, which involves ignoring the condition of your roof until you’re catching drips in buckets. Or, you can take a proactive approach, including the use of infrared scanning, with its ability to pinpoint even tiny leaks before they can cause major damage your building’s structure, inventory and equipment.
How Does Infrared Roof Scanning Work?
Infrared scanning employs the use of a thermal imaging camera to measure variations in the roof’s surface temperature. During a sunny day, the roof heats up. At dusk, the membrane cools down, but because water has more mass than air, any wet spots beneath the membrane retain heat longer. By scanning the surface of the roof at this precise time, we are able to locate leaks that might not otherwise be visible.
Determining the Extent of Damage
Infrared scanning is a non-invasive method for not only identifying leaks, but also for defining the extent of the water damage to the insulation layer beneath. Less saturated areas of insulation retain less heat and appear as graduated color changes on the thermographic image. The biggest benefit from this process is that you don’t have to tear into the roof to know how much insulation must be replaced. Using infrared scanning, we’ve been able to save our customers money by repairing or replacing only the areas of the roof that are damaged.
When’s the Best Time to Scan?
Since the roof needs to heat up during the day in order for infrared scanning to work, typically, the best time to schedule a scan is on a sunny and warm spring, summer or fall day. Spring and fall are also optimal times for seasonal inspections to catch any little problems that might have occurred over a cold winter and to make sure the roof is ready for the coming weather. At North American Roofing, we use high-tech thermography as part of our extensive inspection services.
What Can I Expect After a Scan?
After performing an infrared scan of the roof, we will provide you with a detailed report, complete with images that will allow you to see the location of leaks, potential weak spots and other areas of concern. This is an excellent method for estimating the extent of necessary repairs. At North American Roofing, we don’t just install new roofs – we work with our customers to maximize the useful life of their existing roofs.