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The Importance Of Thermal Imaging In Detecting Water Leaks

As a prospective homeowner, you might know a thing or two about the ways through which you can directly spot the evidence of water

By Nishant KumarPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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The Importance Of Thermal Imaging In Detecting Water Leaks
Photo by pan xiaozhen on Unsplash

As a prospective homeowner, you might know a thing or two about the ways through which you can directly spot the evidence of water leaks such as warping and stains. But, when it comes to finding the source of such leaks, the process is definitely not easy by any means.

There will be times when you can easily notice leakage of water through the attic via a hole in the roof. Or notice water seeping through the basement. Noticing a slow leak through a water heater or pipe can also be easy. But, there will be moments when it can difficult to figure out the source of water damage. Finding the source is very crucial because if you don’t, you’ll proceed to experience the same problems over and over again.

The Use Of Thermal Imaging For Detection Of Leaks

A professional house painter suggests that if you're planning to paint your home for renovation, then the first thing you need to solve before doing so is to repair any water damage. Only when you can make the relevant repairs, you can proceed to repaint your home interiors because the application of new paint on a damp surface will lead to wastage of money & time. This is because the paint will peel off easily (due to the surface being damp) and there will be chances of mould infestation.

But, before you fix the problem, you need to learn the source of water damage, which you can do so by using technological innovations such as thermal imaging. Thermal imaging helps in detecting any small changes in temperature that is caused by the presence of moisture.

More sophistical thermal imaging tools proceed to produce a coloured picture. However, the monochromatic variants reveal the wet regions as a darker picture. But, you must remember that this information alone will not be able to solve the mystery. You need to treat this as your first clue.

When you find the wet spot on your ceiling, it's time to find the structures that are present above it. Sometimes, it can be a simple hole in the roof through which water is coming through. Or it can be a plumbing issue. When you see a wet or damp area in the basement, then chances are that water might be seeping through cracks in the wall, windows or even doors. You can also use thermal imaging tools in situations like these to know the source of water damage.

The Ways To Find Hidden Issues

Thermal imaging tools are incredibly useful and they can not only be used to find the source of water damages but also can be used for other purposes as well. For instance, you can these thermal imaging tools inside any room of your house and you'll be able to notice any signs of moisture.

It’s extremely crucial that you detect any signs of moisture before it turns into a bigger problem. Solving the issue at the earliest can help you save money, time and headaches in the long-run.

There will be times when a small leak will start trickling down water on the underside of the roof and then the walls - thereby getting absorbed by the wall insulating layer. Such a condition can continue for years if you don’t pay heed to the same, which will ultimately be disastrous for the structural integrity of your home. Moreover, sometimes, infestations of moulds & mildews may occur because of such dampness.

However, it must be remembered that these thermal imaging tools definitely don't come cheap. In fact, their cost generally ranges from a few hundred to a thousand dollars. But, when you look at the kind of benefits they provide, you can easily see that such a type of investment is always worth the money you pay for it.

Therefore, you should remember to always treat water damages inside your home before they get serious. And once you do so, you can then think of repainting your home interiors.

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