Name the Top 10 Reasons to go Thermal

[rking6]

John,

I don't think anyone would deny that level 1 training isn't geared specifically at home inspectors but yes it is a great course and most offer training courses now geared at our crowd as you expressed in the case of ITC. I personally started out with the building and inspector training course with Infraspection Training Institute and absolutely loved it, and it always nice when your an InterNachi member and get a nice discount! I think the most important part no matter what is you get proper training for the applications you intend on using it for.

If you are going to use if for home inspections get a class geared at home inspectors if you are going to be performing commercial applications get more training.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

I have never had a person ask me what kind of IR training I took in order to hire me. I was trained with FLIR-ITC, but to the consumer, they know almost nothing about that or any other type of training.

Level I does not deal with the needs of a home inspector and that is the reasons a person is encouraged to take another class after they take Level I.

FLIR-ITC got so many people complaining about this several years ago, that they developed a separate building certification coarse geared for the building applications.

Promises of big money are nice, but most home inspectors want a course that will help them get started in the field they are in at this time... and then expand into more areas as the business expands.

Like I said, Level I is a good class, but not for home inspectors. I have had too many tell me this over and over. Inspectors are tired of paying for training that was developed during years in which inspectors were not even using the IR camera for home inspections.

John,

I disagree to some extent. I did take the Building Science course with Flir and found this particular course chock full of building science information that I had already had knowledge of. I found myself very bored at times because this particular information was information that I had learned through inspecting homes over time.

If a home inspector is new to the HI field and wants to practice IR, then I highly recommend them participating in the BS course first. Other than that....if an HI has been practicing HI's for a few years and is interested in gaining thermography experience, then I highly recommend taking the Level One course because it is more geared towards the IR camera itself, and it's functions and how to properly interpret the IR images.

[John McKenna]

Several at FLIR-ITC have told me that the building science course was
created for building inspectors and contains 80% of everything that is
in the Level I course.

Of course anyone who has already been in construction is going to
find much of the building science material familiar. It is the lack
of building applications in Level I that makes some inspectors upset,
after they have spent so much money to take the class.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

Several at FLIR-ITC have told me that the building science course was
created for building inspectors and contains 80% of everything that is
in the Level I course.

Of course anyone who has already been in construction is going to
find much of the building science material familiar. It is the lack
of building applications in Level I that makes some inspectors upset,
after they have spent so much money to take the class.

What you heard from others is simply not true and I'm not going to sit here and argue about what course contains what. It is all well defined here.

I can say that each course is completely different from each other and they absolutely do not mimic each other in any way. If that were the case, and I found that any of material in one course was mimicking another course, I'd be right at the top of Flir's administration dept. to complain. That's just not the case and many attendees can say the same.

Building Science teaches building sciences and is recommended for newby home inspectors and all others who are new at walking through buildings and diagnosing issues within a building. It simply teaches students "How a building works".

Level One is geared towards the individual who wants to learn more about the IR camera itself, the many applications that can be applied with an IR camera and properly interpreting IR images. There is also a lab there where the student will experience with live real-world applications.

I can also say that the lunches they serve are outstanding. We even went out for a lobster lunch and brews on our last day there. That topped it all off.

[Peter C. Russell]

I have to agree with you Dave, the ITC training was outstanding. One point I would make is there was a fair amount of IR theory in the building science course.

This winter I have to get EPA lead paint certified then hopefully level one next year.

Not to mention CEUs for the state of NH

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by prussell

I have to agree with you Dave, the ITC training was outstanding. One point I would make is there was a fair amount of IR theory in the building science course.

This winter I have to get EPA lead paint certified then hopefully level one next year.

Not to mention CEUs for the state of NH

Absolutely. Building Science did touch on IR aspects but for the most part, it teaches BUILDING SCIENCE.

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by dvalley

What you heard from others is simply not true and I'm not going to sit here and argue about what course contains what. It is all well defined here.

I have seen the level I course and many at FLIR and other
level I, II, III thermographers agree that the building science
course already contains 80% of what is level I. We will
have to agree to disagree.

Regardless... FLIR-ITC created the building science course to
fill the void that building inspectors complained about... and
that was NOT supplied by Level I.

If Level I already filled that need, then they would not have
created the building science course to begin with.

Scott Wood said that the building science course covers 80%
of what you learn in Level I.

Ask him if you like.

scottw@iact-thermography.org

Scott Wood

Board of directors of Building Sciences for the National Association of Certified Thermographers (NACT) ... and has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. He is a certified Level II Thermographer, as well a certification in Infrared Building Science Applications (CBST). His other certifications include: Applications of Infrared Thermography in the Inspection and Diagnosis of Low Slope Commercial Roofing Systems, Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS), Certification as asbestos inspector (AHERA Accreditation for Inspector), Certification as asbestos abatement supervisor (CAL OSHA Contractor/Supervisor), IICRC Water Damage Restoration and Health and Safety Technician, IICRC Health and Safety Technician, and IICRC Odor Removal, Decontamination and Disinfection Technician.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

Regardless... FLIR-ITC created the building science course to
fill the void that building inspectors complained about... and
that was NOT supplied by Level I.

If Level I already filled that need, then they would not have
created the building science course to begin with.

Scott Wood said that the building science course covers 80%
of what you learn in Level I.

Ask him if you like.

scottw@iact-thermography.org

Scott Wood

Board of directors of Building Sciences for the National Association of Certified Thermographers (NACT) ... and has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. He is a certified Level II Thermographer, as well a certification in Infrared Building Science Applications (CBST). His other certifications include: Applications of Infrared Thermography in the Inspection and Diagnosis of Low Slope Commercial Roofing Systems, Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS), Certification as asbestos inspector (AHERA Accreditation for Inspector), Certification as asbestos abatement supervisor (CAL OSHA Contractor/Supervisor), IICRC Water Damage Restoration and Health and Safety Technician, IICRC Health and Safety Technician, and IICRC Odor Removal, Decontamination and Disinfection Technician.

There's no need to ask Scott...he was my ITC instructor in the Level One course. He taught a very interesting course, and I learned quite a bit from him.

I had another instructor for the Building Science course, and these are two whole different courses altogether.