I am still new to a lot of applications for IR so I thought I would get some feedback and ideas before I went to this next one. I will be going this Friday evening to inspect a home for moisture behind stucco. They said they have had issues in other areas but found us and wants to see if there is any more hiding out somewhere else.  The temp here Friday will be near 94 deg and partly cloudy. I am planning on going around 8:00 in the eve just as the temp starts to cool down. We have had about two weeks worth of off and on raining, mostly in the late evening.  Is there any advice anyone could give that may help me out?

Sounds like ideal conditions. Know that there may be differences on walls depending on their orientation to the sun/shading. On the exterior moisture should show up as warmer. Be aware that sometimes the moisture moves to the interior side of the foam insulation and may not be overwhelmingly obvious; patterns may be subtle. You may also want to view from the inside. A good moisture meter will help you understand patterns and confirm suspect areas. Let us know what you find! Also, consider working in a monochromatic color or grayscale palette rather than rainbow; my guess is you'll have better results but do what works.

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Thermally Yours,

John
ASNT NDT Level III #48166
The Snell Group
www.thesnellgroup.com
www.thermalsolutions.org
800-636-9820

I'm Level II with Infraspection but still new with limited field experiance. I walked away from an $800 stucco inspection today because the agent / home owner  didn't  lower the central air three hours prior to the inspection as they were specifically instructed. I'm outside of Phila. It's been fairly cool here for June. The forcast predicted 85 + degrees but it didn't happen.  Even with central air we probably  wouldn't have had 18 Degrees and I made the buyer aware of the limitations but they wanted to see what they could see. But when I showed up with no central air on, that killed it. Buyer's time limit is up Monday so IR will not be happening. I'm sure the agent doesn't know understand the imporatnce of proper IR conditions but after having delt with them for 16 years I have to wonder. I'll be intrested to know how your's goes.

Here is my question. I'm thinking that in my area where building envelope evaluations , specifically  for moisture intrusion, are really questionable for a good part of the year. Whats more important? Achieving the best  Delta T I can or being concerned about Solar loading. And , could solar loading actually help me see moisture intrusion ? From the interior.

Thanks, 

 Herb Scott   Scott Home Inspections

Again, moisture in "EFIS" buildings, while often obvious, also be hidden behind the foam insulation so there are no hard and fast rules except to be persistent. Having an 18F delta (inside wall to outside wall) temperature assures, in most cases, you will see framing, insulation and moisture—all related to conduction—but it is not a guarantee. Altering the temperature inside using the HVAC, or outside by waiting for sun or nighttime clear sky cool down, can cause the capacitance differences to show up. Finally, if conditions are conducive to evaporation, moist surfaces, with those you are viewing directly or interstitial (inside the wall), will be cooled by the phase change from water to vapor. 

I think you were smart to walk given your uncertainty. One can quickly get into legal hassles that could potentially be very costly and problematic. Far better to take your time, learn from simple examples and gain confidence and expertise. We have some excellent webinars that might be useful in the process but just getting out with your camera is the key!

Good luck and let us know how your learning process is going. 

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Thermally Yours,

John
ASNT NDT Level III #48166
The Snell Group
www.thesnellgroup.com
www.thermalsolutions.org
800-636-9820

Here is an image of interest. What do you think is going on.  Conditions:  West side of house, sun just set, temp around 90, inside 70, rained pretty much every evening prior to this. Bathroom behind this wall.  Just below pigeon roof under gable. This is an EIFS application.  With EIFS on the soffit area too.

Do you have the Digital so we can see what it looks like. Do you have a moisture meter? I would suspect that it is moisture. Can you see any cracks or voids where moisture can enter the EFFIS. You also want to be careful as the hot spot could be a piece of metal from the construction of the building.    

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Jeremy Kays Reliability Technician
Level II IR, MCA / UE Level I, In Compliance with the ASNT guidelines
X-Ray Eyes
xrayeyesjl@hotmail.com
www.xrayeyesonline.com