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  1. #1
    Wendy Helenius's Avatar
    Wendy Helenius Guest

    Default My first post from B.C.

    I've been inspecting homes for the last year. Sure has been a huge learning curve especially since I decided I needed to have a thermal imaging camera. It sure isn't a case of point and shoot! Don't use it for regular home inspections because I feel home inspection and doing a building survey with thermal imaging are two differnent specialties. Anyone have thoughts about the subject?

    Wendy

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Lake Barrington, IL
    Posts
    1,367

    Default Re: My first post from B.C.

    I've been in this business full time since '93 and have an assortment of equipment, much of it is seldom used. An IR camera is not in my arsenal. It's cost does not justify how much use I would find for it. I could do a majority of my inspections with nothing more than a good flashlight, a wiggy, a screwdriver and a ladder. The camera is a great tool but I think that its application falls more into the environmental field. Many inspectors rely too heavily on having all the "toys" and do not give enough attention to their basic education and methods of inspecting. Too inspectors and home buyers tend to buy tools and homes based upon emotion rather than financial common sense. I was guilty of this too when I first started out and spent money that I later realized was wasted.

    Eric Barker, ACI
    Lake Barrington, IL

  3. #3
    Wendy Helenius's Avatar
    Wendy Helenius Guest

    Default Re: My first post from B.C.

    Thanks for the reply, so I wasn't off base when I opted not to use my camera for home inspections. Part of the reason I decided to purchase the camera was because I come from an area where I don't expect to get enough home inspections to support me, so thought I would diversify into the energy audit field to supplement my income. I just didn't expect the learning curve for the camera to be so huge, add that to the home inspection learning curve and the result is my very expensive tool is sitting in the closet!!!

    I just received a request to audit a grow-op home so I'll dust it and my books off and brush up on how to correctly use my expensive tool and go see if I can detect any moisture in the home. I do find the thermography field extremely interesting and am looking forward to becoming proficient.


  4. #4
    Ted Menelly's Avatar
    Ted Menelly Guest

    Default Re: My first post from B.C.

    Quote Originally Posted by Wendy Helenius View Post
    Thanks for the reply, so I wasn't off base when I opted not to use my camera for home inspections. Part of the reason I decided to purchase the camera was because I come from an area where I don't expect to get enough home inspections to support me, so thought I would diversify into the energy audit field to supplement my income. I just didn't expect the learning curve for the camera to be so huge, add that to the home inspection learning curve and the result is my very expensive tool is sitting in the closet!!!

    I just received a request to audit a grow-op home so I'll dust it and my books off and brush up on how to correctly use my expensive tool and go see if I can detect any moisture in the home. I do find the thermography field extremely interesting and am looking forward to becoming proficient.
    The biggest part of owning an IR camera as far as learning curve depends greatly on the length of time in the construction field. If you have spent years in the field and especially in the rehab or remodel field the learning curve is very slight.To know what you see with temp variations your camera pics up on you have to know all the scenarios inside the envelope of the structure. If you have built and torn apart countless structures you will have it pretty much dow. Does it still take a bit for the accuracy....sure...I will give it that. It is not a miracle tool that you will constantly save folks hundreds and hundreds or even thousands on every home inspection....no. will it come in handy from time to time...sure. Can it get you in trouble because you did not picture and document every square inch of every home you use it on....it could and may.

    Some will tell you it has no more liability than a moisture meter........you are not testing the surface of every square in of a home. You are only testing suspect areas where it looks wet or stained or moldy. A camera you are standing back from the walls and taking in the whole picture.

    It will catch an occasional leak. It will catch an occasional hotter than the rest receptacle, sure. Will it catch some piece of insulation under the decking in an attic or at the top of a wall, sure.

    In all, my opinion is you are doing the right thing and going in the right direction.

    You will be extremely surprised that there are some that do not agree with me Poor folks just don't know better.


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