Capability

Infrared Roof Scanning

Infrared thermographic scanning detects wet insulation under a commercial roof membrane without opening the roof — by capturing the temperature differential between dry and saturated zones during the right atmospheric window. We coordinate the conditions, conduct the survey, and deliver a documented thermal map.

Infrared thermographic scanning works because wet insulation and dry insulation behave differently as the roof radiates heat into the night sky after sunset. Dry insulation releases heat quickly. Wet insulation holds heat longer — it has higher thermal mass because of the water content. An infrared camera scanning the roof surface after sunset captures this temperature differential as a visible pattern: wet zones appear warmer than surrounding dry zones, typically by 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in the first hour after sunset.

This sounds straightforward, but the atmospheric conditions required for a valid infrared roof survey are specific. The roof surface needs to have absorbed solar energy during the day — clear or mostly clear sky, significant solar exposure. The post-sunset differential needs enough time to develop before clouds, rain, or rising humidity equalizes the surface temperature. In Atlanta, the atmospheric window for valid infrared surveys is narrower than in drier markets because Atlanta's high ambient humidity closes the cooling window faster in humid conditions. We do not schedule infrared surveys on days when the atmospheric conditions will not produce a valid result.

We use infrared scanning as a complement to nuclear moisture scanning, not a replacement for it. Infrared identifies zones of thermal anomaly. Nuclear scanning and moisture core pulls confirm whether the thermal anomaly is caused by wet insulation or by another factor — equipment venting, air leakage, or material heterogeneity. The combination of methods produces the most defensible moisture map.

How We Conduct Atlanta Infrared Surveys

Scheduling is condition-dependent. We monitor the NWS forecast for Atlanta along with hourly relative humidity and dew point data for the survey date. A survey day that starts with high cloud cover, carries afternoon humidity above 80 percent, or has forecast rain for the post-sunset window will not produce a valid infrared result. We notify the building owner if conditions require rescheduling rather than conducting a survey that will not produce actionable data.

Rooftop versus aerial survey: For most Atlanta commercial buildings under 50,000 square feet, a rooftop infrared survey — conducted with a FLIR camera on a tripod or handheld, walking a systematic grid — produces adequate resolution at lower cost than aerial drone-mounted infrared. For larger buildings or buildings with access constraints — active hospital campuses, secured facilities, buildings with tenant access restrictions — drone-mounted infrared surveys can scan the full roof area from the air without requiring rooftop access for the full scan. We use DJI-platform drones with calibrated FLIR thermal sensors for aerial surveys.

Documentation: The infrared survey output is a thermal map of the roof — either a composite of overlapping thermal images stitched to a zone diagram, or a full drone thermal orthomosaic for aerial surveys. Warm zones are highlighted and zone-referenced on the thermal map. The accompanying report explains the atmospheric conditions during the survey, the camera calibration data, the interpretation of each highlighted zone, and the recommended follow-up testing (nuclear scan or core pull) for confirmation of suspected wet zones.

The thermal map is produced in a format the building owner, asset manager, or insurance adjuster can read without specialized thermography training. We do not deliver raw thermal images and expect the owner to interpret them — we deliver annotated maps with a written interpretation of each anomaly.

When Infrared Scanning Is the Right First Step

Large-footprint buildings: For Atlanta commercial buildings above 50,000 square feet — the large distribution centers in the I-85 south logistics corridor, the industrial buildings in the Marietta manufacturing district, and the large-footprint office campuses in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody — infrared scanning can cover the full roof area faster than a systematic nuclear scan grid. The thermal map provides a starting point for targeted nuclear scanning and core pulls, which lowers the total survey cost for large roofs.

Pre-acquisition due diligence on vacant buildings: For vacant commercial buildings going through the Atlanta transaction market, access for rooftop personnel may be limited by building security, insurance requirements, or the seller's conditions of access. A drone-mounted infrared survey can be conducted from the air with minimal on-site access and produces a thermal moisture map that the buyer can use before the inspection period allows full access.

Post-storm assessment: After a significant hail event or wind event in Atlanta, infrared scanning can identify areas of membrane damage that allowed water infiltration without requiring the crew to open every suspected area manually. The thermal map shows where water entered the insulation stack, which guides the targeted repair scope. For insurance documentation, the post-storm infrared map establishes the spatial extent of storm-caused moisture infiltration.

Buildings with active tenants and access constraints: For Midtown or Buckhead Class A office buildings where full rooftop access during the day is disruptive to tenants or antenna operators, a post-sunset drone infrared survey requires minimal building access and no disruption to tenant operations. The survey is conducted from the ground or from the building parapet, and the results are available the following morning.

Limitations and What We Tell You Upfront

Infrared scanning identifies thermal anomalies — it does not directly measure moisture content. Not every warm zone on a thermal map is wet insulation. Rooftop mechanical equipment venting, air leakage from interior to exterior through the insulation, reflective materials at parapet flashings, and prior repair patches with different thermal mass can all produce thermal signatures that look like wet insulation on an uncalibrated or uninterpreted scan.

Ballasted roof systems and some protected membrane assemblies cannot be effectively scanned by infrared — the ballast or protection layer equalizes surface temperature and masks the differential. We tell the owner before scheduling if the building's roof configuration is not appropriate for infrared survey.

Atlanta's urban heat island creates a specific challenge for downtown and Midtown infrared surveys. The elevated ambient air temperature in the urban core reduces the temperature differential between dry and wet insulation zones, which requires a longer post-sunset window to develop adequate contrast for interpretation. Infrared surveys in Downtown Atlanta, Midtown, and Buckhead are best conducted on nights when the urban heat island effect is minimized — clear, dry evenings with low wind — not on warm, humid summer nights when the urban air mass stays warm well past midnight.

Frequently asked questions