Inspec
Menu

Thermal & Moisture Diagnostics

Thermal and moisture diagnostics uncover hidden leaks, wet insulation, and performance issues—without opening walls or disrupting operations.

Thermal and moisture diagnostics give you a non-invasive way to uncover hidden building issues. Whether you’re dealing with drafts, humidity, or leaks, our testing provides fast answers—without cutting into walls or ceilings. Furthermore, it supports early detection and smarter planning.

What Are Thermal & Moisture Diagnostics?

These services use tools like infrared thermography and moisture meters to reveal issues behind walls, roofs, and floors. For example, they help identify wet insulation, thermal bridging, air leakage, and trapped humidity. As a result, building owners can address problems early—before they escalate.

Thermal and moisture diagnostics are especially valuable in facilities where disruption must be minimal. They provide insight without the need for destructive testing or opening up finished spaces.

Why Test for Thermal and Moisture Issues?

  • Find hidden moisture before mold or visible damage appears
  • Verify insulation coverage and air barrier continuity
  • Diagnose condensation, humidity, and comfort issues
  • Support forensic reports, energy audits, and BECx efforts
  • Use non-destructive tools to avoid unnecessary demolition

In many cases, thermal and moisture diagnostics lead to more efficient repair plans and help avoid guesswork.

Our Thermal & Moisture Services Include:

  • Infrared scans for envelope performance
  • Moisture meter readings and RH monitoring
  • Wall and roof assessments for trapped water
  • Construction QA/QC and BECx support
  • Insurance or post-storm claim documentation

Case Study: Hidden Wet Insulation in Office Complex

Situation: After a reroofing project, utility costs surged unexpectedly.

Diagnostics: Thermal and moisture diagnostics revealed saturated insulation from previous leaks.

Solution: Targeted removal and improved vapor control resolved the issue—restoring comfort and reducing energy waste.

Learn more about industry best practices from the Infraspection Institute.

Talk to us

Have a building we should look at?

Tell us about the building and what you are seeing. Our consultants work across Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

Contact Inspec

Common questions

Can an infrared camera see moisture inside a wall or roof?
No. An infrared camera records surface temperature differences only. Wet material often shows a temperature difference because it stores and releases heat differently than dry material, but so do thermal bridges, air leaks and shaded areas. That is why every suspect area is checked with a moisture instrument before it is reported as wet.
What is the difference between this and a straight thermal imaging inspection?
A thermal imaging inspection is the camera survey itself. Thermal and moisture diagnostics combines that survey with contact moisture measurement, humidity and temperature data, and verification openings where warranted, then interprets the two data sets against each other so thermal-only findings are separated from confirmed moisture findings.
Do you have to cut into the building?
Often not. Screening is non-destructive, and many questions are answered with scanning plus surface moisture instruments. Where a definitive answer is needed — the actual condition of insulation or sheathing — a small verification opening is the only reliable proof. We mark the locations, your contractor makes the opening, and our engineer observes it.
When should the scan be scheduled?
When conditions support useful data: a meaningful temperature differential across the assembly, a dry and stable surface, low wind, and a time of day suited to the assembly type. Rain, high wind or a flat temperature difference will produce images that appear conclusive but prove nothing. We reschedule rather than scan in unsuitable conditions.
How do you tell condensation apart from a leak?
By comparing measured surface temperatures with interior relative humidity and dew point. If surfaces are at or below dew point, moisture can be forming on them from inside the building. Rainwater entry tends to track weather events and follow gravity paths. The two also differ in pattern, so we look at where the wetting stops.
Are there assemblies where this method does not work well?
Yes. Reflective metal claddings, foil facers, deep ventilated cavities, thick masonry and heavily insulated finishes all limit what surface temperature can reveal. Some roof assemblies hold moisture in ways infrared alone cannot resolve. We say so in the report and recommend a different method rather than presenting a limited scan as complete.
What do you need from us before the survey?
Access to the areas of concern from both sides where possible, and control of interior conditions during the visit. Any drawings, specifications, previous reports, repair records and a history of the complaint help considerably. Knowing what has already been tried, and whether it changed anything, often narrows the investigation before we arrive.
Can the findings be used to write a repair scope?
That is usually the point. Once wet areas are bounded and the cause is identified, the report gives a designer or contractor a defined extent to work to rather than an estimate. Inspec can then carry the findings into repair documents and construction observation, since we do not perform the repair work ourselves.