Thermography is the use of an infrared imaging and measurementcamera to see and measure thermal energy emitted from an object.Thermal, or infrared, energy is light that is not visible becauseits wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye; it'sthe part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is perceived asheat.

Almost all materials on earth emit heat energy in the infraredportion of the spectrum. Unfortunately, the unaided human eyecannot see in the infrared. Infrared images allow the camera userto see thermally, revealing temperature anomalies that in turnidentify potential problems in buildings and their componentelectrical, mechanical, plumbing, and waterproofing systems.

Unlike visible light, in the infrared world, everything with atemperature above absolute zero emits heat. Even very cold objects,like ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature,the greater the infrared radiation emitted.

Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisibleinfrared radiation and provide precise, non-contact temperaturemeasurement capabilities. Nearly everything gets hot before itfails, making infrared cameras extremely cost-effective andvaluable diagnostic tools in many diverse applications. As therestoration industry strives to improve manufacturing efficiencies,manage energy, improve product quality, and enhance worker safety,new applications for infrared cameras continually emerge.

Today's lightweight and rugged infrared cameras can see not onlyin real-time, but also can record infrared images and measure thetemperatures of target objects quite accurately — usually within.25? F. Points of possible concern show up clearly as hot or coldspots in relation to their surroundings. Recorded thermal imagescan be easily inserted into reports and widely distributed, greatlyfacilitating communications among the restoration companies,adjusters, and other professionals, not to mention serving asinvaluable, rational, evidentiary data in cases involvingcontroversy.

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Restoration companies and adjusters have been using infraredcameras for years to trace moisture in building envelopes andconfirm the progress of its drying efforts. What makes them soeffective in real-world situations?

“The infrared camera's ability to detect the source and extentof moisture, and thus potential areas of mold growth much morequickly than moisture meters and other conventional technologies,has saved our clients countless dollars and inconvenience,” saidGary Gilman, president of SteamMaster, a restoration and cleaningcompany. “On the first job our camera was used, it found the sourceof moisture in a kitchen in 30 seconds; it took an engineer lookingfor moisture 45 minutes without a camera.”

Gilman went on to say that a thermographic inspection is apowerful, non-invasive means of monitoring and diagnosing thecondition of buildings. It produces immediate documentation ofwater-damaged building materials, cause-and-origin data, plumbingand building envelope water leakage, post-flood and fire-damagedmaterial assessment, insulation failures, and cold intrusions. Mostimportantly, said Gilman, the customer's mind is put at ease whenhe sees an infrared image — and a company's or adjuster'scredibility is enhanced.

“In at least one case, infrared helped preserve a valuable wallmural in a $2 million-dollar condominium, behind which a leak froma fire sprinkler had developed,” said Gilman. “Without infrared, itwould have taken much longer to determine where to position ourdrying equipment, [which would have increased] the chances of molddamage to the costly artwork.”

Because of its Vail, Colo., location, SteamMaster deals withfrozen pipe bursts for much of its restoration work. Its FLIRThermaCAM B-series infrared cameras are able to find the specificarea of moisture intrusion and confirm its repair for insuranceadjusters during the drying process.

“Infrared also is useful for identifying trapped roof leaks fromice and snow melt,” said David Gardoni, SteamMaster's waterrestoration manager. “[It can help] identify leaks from damaged orimproperly installed radiant heater tubes under concrete entrancesand driveways as well as identify the position of tubes when newflooring is being installed, to avoid inadvertently driving nailsthrough them.”

In an Aspen, Colo., hotel, the company was able to use infraredto help a contractor correct a moisture problem during constructionby identifying where the moisture was entering the building. Everytime there was driving rain, moisture would enter the buildingenvelope.

“We left our dehumidification equipment to dry the wet areas,and a moisture meter to monitor the progress,” said Gardoni. “Thisis a pro-active approach for new construction inspection.”

Lastly, Gardoni described another incident in a six-story hotel,where water had discharged from a fire sprinkler on the sixth floorfor 15 minutes, flooding five units below, plus an office andkitchen. Over a five-day period, infrared located the wet portions,but after three days, there were still areas that were notcompletely drying out. After removing two layers of drywall,workers saw that water that was standing in C-channels.

“We would have spent significant more time monitoring the dryingprocess without the infrared cameras,” said Gilman.

Raj Manickam is chief executive officer of SteamMasterCleaning and Restoration, a network member of Disaster KleenupInternational. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected],www.steammaster.com.