Defects found with Infrared Camera during a Home Inspecton

In the example below I was scanning a basement drop ceiling during a recent home inspection in Voorhees NJ, when I discovered moisture in the ceiling tile.  As you can see in the first photo there are no signs of moisture.  The infrared photo does indicate moisture and in the third photo I removed the ceiling tile to discover a mold/microbial growth on the back side of the ceiling tile.  The source of the moisture was coming from a leaking drain pipe in the ceiling.  Because I able to discover these defect, now my client will be able to get this plumbing defect fixed prior to purchasing this home.

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The next photo is from a recent home inspection in Cherry Hill, NJ were I discovered moisture in a living room ceiling from a 2nd floor bathroom. This moisture was conformed with a moisture meter.  The moisture reading of the drywall ceiling was 99% at the time of the  inspection.  The third photo is the photo of the drywall ceiling, where the moisture in the ceiling was marked with blue tape, so the current homeowner can have a licensed plumber further investigate the cause and make the necessary repairs prior to my client settling on this property. To contact a professional plumber look at this site.

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The two examples above are good examples of how using an infrared camera during a home inspection can be very valuable.   These defects would have went unnoticed and would have cost my clients down the road after they have purchased and moved into these properties.  Because we discovered them during the home inspection period both of my clients will know be able to address these issues with the current homeowner(sellers) and get these defects addresses.   In both cases mold/microbial growth would be present and need to be properly cleaned/removed.  These two are examples of how home owners can have mold growing inside their homes and have no idea.

Ed Mitchell
[email protected]
www.amerispecnj.com
www.amerispec.net/mitchell
http://www.manta.com/c/mx47n0c/amerispec-home-inspection-services
(856)649-5946