Thermal Imaging Leak Detection

Every surface emits infrared radiation according to its temperature. A thermal camera renders those differences as an image. Where water has soaked into drywall, plaster, tile bed or concrete, the material's thermal mass and evaporative cooling change the surface temperature enough to appear as a distinct shape.

Hot-water leaks are the clearest case: escaping hot water warms the surrounding material and produces a bright, often plume-shaped pattern. Cold-water leaks show up in reverse, as a cooler area created by evaporation.

• Mapping the extent of moisture behind a wall or above a ceiling
• Following a hot-water slab line and spotting an anomaly along its route
• Choosing where to place a moisture probe or make access
• Documenting the wet area before and after drying

Many things look like moisture on a thermal image: a stud behind drywall, insulation gaps, a duct run, direct sun on an exterior wall, a recently used appliance. In Florida's humidity and heat, false patterns are common enough that a thermal indication is a place to check rather than a conclusion.

Every thermal finding is verified — with a moisture meter, with acoustic listening, or with pressure isolation — before it becomes a marked location.

A reasonable temperature difference between the water and the building materials helps, as does avoiding surfaces in direct sun. Scanning an interior wall early in the day, or after conditioning the space, tends to produce cleaner readings than scanning a sun-baked exterior at midday.