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

Precisely Jay!  Very good examples.

Shadows can play havoc as well.  Shadows of dormers and stand pipes can appear to be moisture intrusion on attic sheathing when they are nothing more than shadows.  Same with vegetation on the exterior.
Another interesting fact is that sometimes moisture can be the same or very close temperature as its surroundings and be missed all together with an IR imager.  Lower thermal resolution (cheaper) cameras have a higher chance of missing these moisture areas especially if the delta T is not adequate (which WILL be common no matter how hard you try to adjust it).
The lesser quality/cheaper the camera, the more delta T is needed and the closer you will need to be to see it.  High delta T's are difficult if not impossible to achieve in spring and fall around here as inside and outside temps are generally the same or very close.
This is all Very important stuff for our applications but often overlooked.

Then there are the threatening letters being sent by Home Safe (them of the advertisement, "We can see through walls") to anyone violating their "patents" on how IR inspections can be conducted...  John McKenna, by the way, told me to "ignore them."

This is a copy of the email I got from the IR Info Group regarding this: 

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On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 7:51 PM, Dennis Shumaker <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> wrote:

    Here!

    FROM: www.homesafeinspection.com/index.php?opt...ew&id=294&Itemid=113

    With the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent approval of HomeSafe's patents on a range of infrared home inspection methods, most home inspectors using infrared will need to become licensed by
    HomeSafe in order to continue offering IR inspection services. HomeSafe's patented methods cover a range of activities related to usage of IR in the home inspection process.
    And it is virtually impossible to perform a successful, accurate IR home inspection without using these methods! For details on HomeSafe's patents, please click here.

    "If you are a home inspector, pest control operator, mold inspector or air quality inspector and you use infrared, you are most likely employing HomeSafe's patented procedures in your inspections, whether you realize it or not. In that case, you must at least pay a monthly licensing fee to HomeSafe or face the possibility of legal action for patent infringement."


    They sent a threatening letter to one home inspector about infringing on their infrared patents and the guy does not even have a camera!

    -Dennis


    Dennis Shumaker wrote:

        So, turning on the hot air furnace (between fall and spring) by setting it 5 degrees higher for one hour prior to using our IR camera violates their patent !?
        Again, this is nothing creative by any stretch of the imagination.
        -Dennis

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Have you heard of this Bill?

Yes unfortunately Jay.

Time will tell where this will lead.
Reminds me of strong arm tactics employed by the failing/failed/outdated unions of this country.

So, along those lines, I should file a patent for having to wear pants during an inspection and anyone who does will pay me a fee - I wonder if that somehow would be accepted by the Patent Office...

Apparently, if we don't create a Delta T by upping the heat or AC we are not in violation of their patents...

Yeah... don't tell anyone but I just got approval last week from the patent office for my patented process of utilizing a flashlight in dark places during a home inspection.  Anyone using flashlights during the process of a home inspection may be infringing upon patent rights and will need to pay me royalty fees or face pending legal action.
If you use a flashlight in places that have sufficient light already, you need not worry as that is not part of my patented process.  The area(s) must be sufficiently dark and necessitate the creation of a delta light gradient through use of flashlight(s) or other source of portable illumination equipment.

Please keep this under your hat for now Jay.  I will be needing someone to assist in sending out notification letters so there may be something in this for you as well... 
I'm still working out the details with Biff and "little" Mikey... err... I mean my legal counsel.

I hear Mikey eats anything...