Infrared thermography, long used with success by the military,law enforcement agencies, research and development engineers,manufacturers and broadcasters, to name a few, is findingincreasing use among insurance adjusters as a tool to settle claimsquickly and with minimum cost.

The non-invasive technology has proven particularly effective inthe settlement of water intrusion and mold claims, where it doesnot require the walls or ceilings under investigation to be tornapart to locate the source. It can scan an entire room in minutes,pinpointing the extent of water damage and mold, with minimaldisruption of the infrastructure. And most important, today'sinfrared camera images can be printed out, in living color, for useas evidence that is hard to argue with.

For adjusters, the lightweight cameras, like the ThermaCAM(R)B1–no bigger or heavier than a flashlight–can resolve and settlewater intrusion and mold claims in a matter of days.

“The savings in time and money are huge, and it all buteliminates the need for costly destructive testing, where a wholewall might be taken down only to find there is no moisture afterall,” says Mike Eggman, President, Certified Restoration &Construction Inc., in Sacramento, CA, who is often called upon byadjusters to perform infrared surveys on their behalf.

“In addition to being able to scan every square inch of an areain a fraction of the time it would take with a moisture meter — ifindeed a 4″ by 6″ moisture meter, which is limited to the surfacesit actually touches, could guarantee 100% coverage of a 20-ft. walland ceiling — infrared provides graphic documentation of areas ofsuspected moisture intrusion,” adds Eggman.

“We use the moisture meter only to identify an abnormality wemight see on the IR thermogram, to confirm that the temperaturedifferential we're seeing is actually an indication of moisture,and not something else, like an insulation void or multiple layersof building material.”

“In the past, if you had a 20 ft. wall with eight windows, youwould probably open the entire wall, or many portions of it, tofind a moisture problem because you really couldn't see theabnormality and its scope,” says Eggman. “But anything you rippedout you had to put back in place, and that could become costly andinconvenient for someone.”

Moisture intrusion is not the only building defect that infraredcan be used to detect quickly, decisively, and non-destructively.Other instances where adjusters can use the technology to helpdetermine cause and responsibility include:

oLeaking roofs Roof leaks can cause costly damage to abuilding's contents and discomfort to its inhabitants. An infraredinspection can quickly identify missing insulation under a flatmembrane roof, which can be the source of roof leaks. Onceresponsibility for the missing insulation is determined, thesurgical repair of failed areas rather than the much more costlyreplacement of the entire roof is possible.

oConstruction defects The increased use of EIFS (ExteriorInsulation and Finish Systems) and stone, stucco, brick veneers,and siding as facades on residential as well as commercialbuildings invites the possibility of water intrusion if they arenot properly installed. IR can detect or verify moistureinfiltration in these weatherproofing barrier systems, usually theresult of insufficient detailing such as inadequate or improperlyapplied flashing or sealants. In addition, IR can monitor and trackmoisture migration paths within the wall cavity.

oMissing insulation An IR camera can quickly andnon-destructively detect areas of missing insulation in walls,crawlspaces, and attics or around doors, windows, electricaloutlets, and other access plates. All of these problems canincrease a building's energy costs by allowing cold air to enterthe building and heated air to escape in the winter, and vice versain the warmer summer months. IR can also identify poorly oruninsulated pipes, another source of costly heat loss.

Ron Lucier is a Regional Thermography Course Manager at FLIRSystems. He can be reached at the Infrared Training Center(infraredtraining.com) or 800-464-6372.