Thermal Imaging Review
Hurricane Ike was a powerful category two storm damaging Galveston and then Houston, Texas and then points north. Complete was contacted by the insurance company for this commercial production company. The roof in question was badly damaged by the effects of uplift from the wind traveling over the building. The roof had several layers including a concrete deck, a thick layer of built-up with imbedded gravel, and then a recovery board and new roof over the existing. In several areas the roof had completely tore off and the HVAC units and tumbled across the roof. The roof was damaged but how badly could not be seen without removal or thermal imaging.
Agreement was made to replace the roof, remove the abandoned roof and Complete was hired to access the roof decking to determine how much, if any of it, required replacement. After careful thermal imaging with thru use of a FLIR B-2 a few areas were selected for closer review. These areas showed heat held in the substrate after being tested with a GE moisture meter. Those areas only were cored and revealed water trapped in the system. The adjuster had the information to pay for what was necessary and not what wasn’t.
The owners appreciated that the adjuster was able to determine the problems out in advance and not have to go through the potential difficulties of presenting a supplement later. Commercial roofing is the perfect application for thermal imaging by a contractor with fifteen years of experience and the experience to realize what we are looking at real world.
