TOPIC: Infrared Thermography, also known as IR or thermal scans

Now that's just great gents; candles in dark places and I wear shorts for inspections...just wonderful!  Glad I'm in Ca.

You guys make very good points regarding the training.  My instructor said that many folks with IR cameras and no training are merly "camera operators" but the courses we take to learn and understand why and how IR works makes us "Thermographers"

Your point about being camera operators vs. thermographers is good Greg.

A good analogy would be the original map making which eventually developed into cartography.  The original maps can be seen here and there.  And not bad.  But, while they wanted to do something with the knowledge they had, they did not really know what they were doing.  It took a while, and experience, and finally scientific ideas. 

Some mapmakers were very crude - 40 paces northeast of the rock, stop, then turn left and go 11 paces and X marks the spot.  Cartography is very exact nowadays.  Interestingly, in the early 60's, the Russians intentionally produced maps with cities slightly wrong on the grids.  The intention was to fool American defense planners so when they targeted their nuclear missiles they might miss a city by a few degrees.  We caught the rouse of course, but that is an interesting twist.  The old joke that close only counts in horse shoes, hand grenades and nuclear war works here!

Thermography is a great tool that's use is guided by experience.  Any subjective interpretation is also guided by experience.  Like what Bill said earlier about vegetation on the outside of the house, or shadows casting a slightly cooler temp.  You simply HAVE to be aware of all that or the end analysis is wrong.  Experience says, beware of the shadow, remember the ivy.  Or, this wall is in the sun!

I'm sorry I misses the chat, had a lot going on this weekend, I didn't even have time to open my laptop. Read all the posts theres a lot of good info here.

As soon as I can do it I think I'll be getting IR certified.

I am interested in doing IR scans, but I am a little concerned about using the IR during a home inspection due to liability issues.  I have heard stories about the IR opening up the home inspector to lawsuits about not seeing something that they should have.

So I guess my question has to do with how others are using the IR (regular inspections or just energy audits) and how you are covering yourself in the liability area.

I'm a certified level one thermographer and, no, it do not usually mix it with my regular HI work.  The California B&P code has issues with using "specialized" tools.  I run my IR as a separate business with a separate contract/agreement.  I will offer a discount if I do one at the same time as the HI. I will drag it out on the side and without telling the client if I suspect a moisture issue.  Then I will use my moisture meter to confirm it.

Just had my demonstration with the Flir rep.

He had a 20K camera that he showed me.

The three I have narrowed down are the B2/B50 and B/200.

Hi David,
I've been using a Flir BCAM-SD since 2007. 120x120.  At the time, it was $5K+  It would be nice to have a higher resolution but then, that was big bucks.  I got it on a least to own program and it's fully paid off.
It did pay for itself including the equipment insurance the leasing company insisted I have and I probably could have stepped up to a better camera but then hindsight is always 20/20.