Twice now!

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by bclark3

Hey Sean,

I've found that it can often be hard to get someone to give you a good answer to a question on this Thermal Imaging section.

The one thing that I do which sometimes helps is before starting an inspection turn the heater up a good bit or actually put a space heater in an area you suspect a problem. If you can change the surface temp of the walls by a few degrees you can usually identify more issues.

You may also want to lower the span between the temperatures your camera is detecting to about 15 degrees. Try detecting from 55 to 70 degrees.

Send me the image if you will. I have the FLUKE software and I'd like to give it a shot.

Send the image to brandon@pwrck.com

Good advise.

Create an energy conflict and the thermal mass of the moist area will change temp more slowly... thus creating the needed delta-T.

Surface temps can bleed together, so when we arrive, they need stirred up.

What was the humidity like in the house?

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Sean -

I'm not being rude BUT Jamie gave you a straight forward and really good answer. If I'm practicing in my house OR on a loaner house, I got all day to play with my IR. On a real job, I need to get in and get out.

If I'm on an inspection and my Delmhorst, Tramex or Protimeter tell me I got moisture AND my IR doesn't I'm gonna shake my head AND I'm gonna document the moisture THEN move on (I don't have all day to play, I need to get in and get out - Time is $$$$) AND when I get home I'll set up some different conditions and try to play with my IR some more and compare readings with my various moisture meters and then figure out whats doing what to whom.

Brandon and others also threw out the possibility of a lack of a significant TD between moisture and surrounding temperatures, which may have given your moisture meter the edge.

[Sean Fogarty]

Originally Posted by bclark3

Hey Sean,

You just have a low Delta-T and low amount of moisture.

If you can get me some better shots I can get you some better results. These are about as good as I can do with just one image.

Hope these help at all.

Thanks brandon.
The darkest area is actually the beaded trim between two panels letting in colder air. (mobile home)

The vauge anomoly which shows up as darker orange on the first two and darker green on the second would be whats left of the moisture.

Thats the only pic I took. I figured no sense in taking more than one. Thanks for trying but like I said, what a pain.

[Sean Fogarty]

Originally Posted by dbowers

Sean -

I'm not being rude BUT Jamie gave you a straight forward and really good answer. If I'm practicing in my house OR on a loaner house, I got all day to play with my IR. On a real job, I need to get in and get out.

If I'm on an inspection and my Delmhorst, Tramex or Protimeter tell me I got moisture AND my IR doesn't I'm gonna shake my head AND I'm gonna document the moisture THEN move on (I don't have all day to play, I need to get in and get out - Time is $$$$) AND when I get home I'll set up some different conditions and try to play with my IR some more and compare readings with my various moisture meters and then figure out whats doing what to whom.

Brandon and others also threw out the possibility of a lack of a significant TD between moisture and surrounding temperatures, which may have given your moisture meter the edge.

I realize he gave me a straight forward answer, and I understand it has limits. That's not the point. The point is I wanted an answer from somone that might know how to help with the certain situation. I don't need repsonses on what I already am aware of.

[Sean Fogarty]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

Good advise.

Create an energy conflict and the thermal mass of the moist area will change temp more slowly... thus creating the needed delta-T.

Surface temps can bleed together, so when we arrive, they need stirred up.

What was the humidity like in the house?

Just off the cuff I would say around 65%..

I think the frustration is that as conditons change you have to "crank up the heat" so to say to be able to get the whole picture. Like what was said, I don't have that much time to fart around. I guess since I can see the stain and know its there, the irriatation is the most expensive tool won't find it in some situations..

[James E. Braun, CMI]

I do not know a lot about thermal imagining but 65% humidity would make any porous material such as drywall damp, thus the temperature difference would not be all that great. I am guessing but if the humidity was about 65% for several weeks, drywall moisture would be from 8-14%. Of course considerably higher during the summer months.

[rneag]

Sean,

You could also try other IR forums, like Snell's IR-Talk http://http://www.thesnellgroup.com/irtalk/

If they can't give you the exact answer you're looking for, no one can.

[Sean Fogarty]

Originally Posted by rneag

Sean,

You could also try other IR forums, like Snell's IR-Talk http://http://www.thesnellgroup.com/irtalk/

If they can't give you the exact answer you're looking for, no one can.

Cool! Thanks