As a property owner in Ottawa, you need to be mindful of your property’s condition. Therefore, you have to carry out thorough inspections regularly to detect damages and draw up a maintenance plan. Those looking to buy a property should also carry out thorough checks before they decide to go ahead with the deal. Such checks help them know whether the property is good enough to be bought.
Speaking of inspections, as a property owner or buyer in Ottawa, you need to look into every nook and corner of it. However, we all realize that it’s not possible to do so without suitable technology being available. Thermal imaging is the technology that’s caught on among professional property inspectors for its efficiency and ease of use. Thermal imaging cameras can spot even the smallest of differences in temperatures in different areas of a property that the naked eyes can’t. These temperature differences tell you where leakages are occurring and they alert you about other issues as well.
Let’s look into the key benefits thermal imaging offers to property owners.
Detecting Mold and Moisture Damage
Thermal imaging cameras can accurately detect mold growth and rise in moisture levels on your property. The best thing about thermal imaging is that it’s a non-invasive process, which means that you won’t need to dismantle or break anything for a successful inspection. During the thermal inspection, the thermal imaging expert can detect the moisture damage and mold growth issues by measuring and analyzing temperature differences picked up by thermal imaging cameras.
For instance, the weather in Ottawa is damp and cold. Thermal imaging technology helps maintenance and repair experts pick up irregular changes in temperature. During a thermal inspection, temperature differences appear in the form of warm or cold spots. Thus, the presence of mold or moisture shows up in the form of warm and cold spots. Thermal imaging, therefore, alerts the inspector about the need for a mold test by locating where the temperature differences lie on a wall.
Detection of Electrical Faults
The damp weather in Ottawa may cause damage to electrical wires—a situation fraught with risks. Infrared technology is capable of identifying temperature differences. Areas with a fault will have a higher temperature caused by an overload of electricity. Thermal imaging, by being able to spot the abnormal temperature rise, therefore, tells us where the fault lies.
When an electrical fault is building up, there’s excessive energy passing through an electrical circuit. This makes the area around it much hotter, which may trigger major fires. An infrared camera can tell you where the spots of elevated temperatures are alerting you to an issue that needs immediate attention before a serious mishap has occurred.
Reveals Energy Efficiency of a Property
It’s important that in a cold place like Ottawa, you have an energy-efficient property. If your property isn’t so, apart from being in great discomfort, you’ll have your energy bills shoot through the roof. One big benefit of thermal imaging inspection for property owners lies in its being able to tell them how energy efficient the various materials in the property are. Detecting the actual temperature of any equipment against the expected temperature will reveal if energy is being lost in any part of the property.
If the areas around the doors, windows, and entryways show excessive temperature differences, it’s an indication of energy loss. The availability of such reliable information can tell the owner or the prospective buyer of the property how energy efficient it is. If it isn’t, they’ll know where the fault lies and carry out the necessary repairs. Thermal imaging reports can therefore often be the make-or-break factor in a deal when a property is changing hands.
Helps Locate Structural Defects
When a wall, floor, or ceiling is scanned with a thermal imaging camera, the inspector may note differences in temperature and conductivity. This alerts them about any structural component being missing or there being any damage in certain portions of the components. The temperature difference is an indication of faulty or missing insulation. The spots showing heat loss indicate gaps in insulation that need immediate attention.
Detect Water Leaks
Thermal imaging can be very helpful in detecting water leaks in hot water pipes. If there’s a leak, the variation in temperatures between the areas where the leak is occurring and the surrounding areas will be significant. A quality thermal imaging camera can capture this anomaly with ease and detect the presence of a leaking pipe. It’ll help the property owner make an urgent repair and avoid a costly overhaul that may have been caused by late detection of the issue.
Detecting Unwanted Pests
This is especially useful if you live close to the woods in Ottawa. Thermal imaging cameras can tell you if you have unwelcome visitors on your property—pests. Similar to detecting moisture, the heat in the body of an animal or pest alerts a property inspector about their presence inside your property. It tells you whether a thorough pest control session is the need of the hour or not.
Conclusion
Thermal imaging can therefore make sure that your property has no hidden headaches. Thermal imaging inspections can be especially useful when you are selling your property. They’ll help you convince the buyer that your property is in a good condition. As the owner, you wouldn’t want unexpected issues cropping up that scare buyers away when selling your property. Thermal imaging is non-invasive and non-destructive. You can therefore see if your property has any issues without having to rip things apart.
Thermal imaging also proves handy when you are planning a maintenance check of your property by alerting you about timely repairs. They, therefore, help in preventive maintenance. Infrared technology is a good addition to having your property visually inspected. It helps locate issues that can’t be spotted by the naked eyes. If it’s foolproof inspection you’re looking for, thermal imaging is indeed a wise choice.
