You are feeling a little under the weather and finally make an appointment to go see your family doctor. He does a cursory examination, and decides you need surgery immediately. Wouldn’t you want a more thorough exam? What about a CAT scan, an MRI, an EKG, or some other tests? Wouldn’t you want more information on what is wrong before the surgery? Wouldn’t you want some scientific evidence that you need the surgery?

This evidence allows doctors to pinpoint exactly what is wrong and target the problem area. Advanced imaging techniques provide crucial information for medical professionals. Similarly, non-destructive moisture tests provide roofing professionals valuable information concerning the moisture content of roofing insulation.

High cost of replacing roofs

Replacing damaged roofs can cost as much as $8 to $20 per square foot, and billions of dollars are lost every year because of premature roof failure.  The main causes of premature roof failure and high maintenance costs are moisture intrusion and undetected wet insulation inside the roofing system.  Because thermal imaging makes apparent temperature differences viewable, it is excellent at finding moisture and then documenting problem areas during roof inspections. 

Building owners and managers can familiarize themselves with this application of thermal imaging to expand their options to diagnose problem areas on roofs that have trapped moisture, which can lead to structural problems and expensive repairs.

Consequences of Wet Insulation

There are several reasons why it is important to identify wet insulation trapped within a commercial roofing system. For example:

• Roof leaks can cause costly interior damage to facilities and create hazardous conditions for building occupants.
• Wet insulation becomes a conductor of energy rather than a resister, resulting in increased energy bills.
• Trapped moisture in insulation is a great place for mold to propagate and may eventually lead to indoor air quality issues.
• Wet insulation often causes roofing fasteners to corrode and reduces the uplift performance of the roof, which can lead to a roof blow off.
• Trapped moisture can speed the deterioration of the building’s structural deck.
• Wet insulation will degrade the roofing system.
• Wet insulation adds unnecessary weight to the building.

Thankfully, rather than simply doing a quick visual assessment of the roof and deciding it needs to be replaced, today’s roofing professionals can rely on several different non-destructive moisture tests to help make solid recommendations based on unbiased scientific information. The decision of when to repair, restore or replace a large commercial roof often involves a million dollars or more. Before you make a million dollar decision, building owners should insist on more evidence to support the recommendation.