Continued education and training combined with the right tools for the job help identify potential issues during a home inspection. Here are a few example of the tools I use and how they may be applied during a home inspection.

tools of the trade

thermal imaging

Thermal imaging camera's are not X-Ray Vision. They do give us information we may not see otherwise. The cooler temperatures indicated in this picture could be cool air getting in or moisture getting in. Without the thermal image we would not see either. I use thermal imaging in almost every inspection.

moisture meters

Moisture meters help us find water penatrations or leaks. Both pinless and pin meters are used depending on the application. In this picture we are looking for moisture after taking a thermal picture that showed a cold spot.

tall ladders

Roofs are critical to shed water out of the home. If I can walk the roof safely and without harming the roofing material I want up there. It is the best way to find roof, flashing and gutter issues. If not then tall ladders at the eaves, a drone, or the Spectoscope allow me to see the roof.

---

drone

As a licensed FAA Drone Pilot there are times conditions require an alternative to view the roof. Steep pitches, weather, or roof materials that may be damaged by walking on them are all situations where a drone can help provide information. While my preference is always to walk on the roof, using a drone in the right situations is an alternative when other options are not feasible.

INSPECTION CRAWLER/ROBOT

co Meter

A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide (CO) gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible intruder that threatens lives in nearly every home and sends 20,000 people to the ER with CO poisoning each year.

Inspection crawlers, or robots, are another tool to assist in the inspection of areas that are often not accessible. Often crawlspaces have no access or limited access, may have debris, and low plumbing or ducting that would limit a visual inspection.  While a hands on inspection is always the preference, the inspection crawler with 360 degree scanning allows inspection of areas that may not be accessible in any other way.

gas leak detection

Many workplaces and homes have gas powered appliances, yet never think anything of potential gas leaks once it's been installed. Unfortunately gas leaks ​happen fairly often, sometimes leading to detrimental accidents. ​

electrical anylasis

Electrical testing of outlets, GFCI devices and AFCI devices helps identify issues that could be a safety hazard or a hazard to your electical equipment. In this picture we discovered an open ground in an outlet. This leaves no place for stray electricity to travel and could cause an electrical shock or damge to a computer or other devices.

trust and verify

thermal 

infrared thermometer

contact thermometer

Here are three tools telling us the same thing and it helps illustrate why often times we use more than one tool to help create accurate data. All three of these temperature checks indicate the water is a couple of degrees hotter than the 120 degrees that is recomended as a max. Any one of these tools would have told us that. In the case of thermal imaging it is almost always necessary to back up a thermal image with a moisture meter to get the straight scoop.