A thermal camera is a fast way to find areas behind a finished surface that are worth a closer look. Those areas are then checked with an instrument that measures the material directly.
An infrared camera measures surface temperature and shows the differences as an image. It does not see through walls, and it does not see moisture or mold.
Many building faults produce a temperature difference: evaporating water cools a wet material, missing insulation lets a wall follow the outdoor temperature, air leaks draw a plume, and overheating electrical connections read hot. Each is an anomaly until a direct measurement confirms its cause.
The survey is conducted by a Level 1 thermographer. That training covers camera setup (emissivity and reflected temperature), the conditions a survey needs - there must be a temperature difference across the surface - and what an image can and cannot be used to claim.
It is most useful when the question is where: a ceiling stain with no obvious source, a cold spot on a wall, a roof leak somewhere along a run, or drying after a water loss. A camera covers a whole ceiling in one pass.
It adds little when the source is already known, or on a day with no temperature difference to work with.
No. It measures surface temperature. A cooler area can indicate moisture, which mold needs, so the image is a reason to look further rather than a finding.
Not for the thermal survey, which is non-invasive. If an area cannot be resolved from the surface, any further step is agreed with you first.
Yes. The camera works on temperature difference, so a mild day with the same temperature inside and out gives it little to show. Surveys are scheduled for suitable conditions.
