EIFS walls and other kinds of exterior walls can usually be evaluated with infrared. This procedure is not usually part of a regular home inspection as it is often done after the sunsets on a day when the weather is suitable to assist in the exposure of anomalies.
If you want the exterior of your building analyzed for moisture intrusion, give us a call.
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Moisture Intrusion
As building designs and techniques produce tighter thermal envelopes, moisture (from leaks or condensation) has created more and more problems. Locating moisture with thermography can be simple because it has both a high thermal conductivity and a high heat capacitance. The growing popularity of buildings using Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) has been accompanied by numerous cases of moisture-related structural damage and health problems.
Although often attributed to the performance of windows, water typically intrudes where sealing or flashing systems were inadequate or have begun to fail. Sometimes this can occur around the windows, but there are many other possibilities. Once water intrudes, moisture is trapped under the relatively impervious foam. In warm climates, decay of structural wood elements can be shockingly rapid.
Thermography is an invaluable tool to locate moisture in EIFS systems. Inspections are best conducted in the early evening from the outside after a sunny day with little or no wind. It may also be possible to locate moisture from inside during cooling or heating conditions.
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