Thermal cameras and finding White ants
Often customers will ask us how good are thermal cameras in finding termite activity. If you were to use it as the only instrument or tool to find white ants then our opinion is it’s not very good. But is it the marketplaces opinion or high expectation on them that is setting the Termites cameras up to fail? They definitely have their place as part of an array of inspection tools but they are not the magic wand or x-ray vision device some people think they are. To clarify, we are talking about their usefulness during a Termite Inspection only. In fact their results differ in other environments and industries. thermal cameras finding White ants is very rare but it can in some circumstances find termite nests and sub nests.
In our experience the area has to be high in moisture for the camera to pick it up. We do a full thermal camera scan of the house but find the camera helps us out more in investigating areas found with our more sensitive moisture meter. The Thermal Camera has the potential to give us a bigger insight to how far the moisture issue has spread in the wall.
What About Old Termite Activity?
None of the equipment will pick up dry old termite mudding or timber damage behind wall linings. So if the property has had termites in the past there is a probable risk there could be mudding or damage hidden on the walls. Unless there is high level of current moisture present or a mature termite colony resonating heat in the wall the thermal camera will not pick it up. In fact The only way to find this activity is to remove wall linings and this is normally done when customers decide to renovate the property. If we find suspect areas we will recommend a more invasive inspection.
The Pre Purchase Building and Pest Inspection and Termite Inspection by Australian Standards is a visual inspection only. We are not allowed to poke, prod or remove any obstructions including wall lining or floor coverings.
What will the Thermal Camera pick up then?
The Thermal Camera on several occasions has picked up old leaking hot water systems. Which were installed in the ceiling space. It has also found a faulty power point. Where the connection at the back was loose and creating a hot joint. Saving a potential house fire. It has found leaking failed waterproof membranes in common walls between apartments/units. It has found rising damp in brick work and also massive termite nests hidden in walls. Where it is handy is inspecting the ceiling for moisture. Some ceilings are just way too high to reach with the moisture meter. So we can scan the ceiling with the Thermal Camera. The thermal camera picks up differences in temperature and is really useful in picking up areas of moisture and whether the home is insulated.
So to answer the question how good is a thermal camera finding termites. We think it’s a great tool to compliment the array of tools. We use it in our Pre Purchase and Termite Inspections. Where it gets let down. Is the marketplaces expectation on what the camera will find especially in a Termite Inspection Environment. In fact the best tool for finding termite activity is the Termatrac T3i . The world’s number one termite detection tools.
Termatrac I Tracker Pro
The termatrac t3i is the world’s number one termite detection tool. The Termatrac uses Radar to detect any termite movement behind walls etc. The termatracs Radar will pick up movement and we can tell whether it is termites as they have their own signature. Thermal sensing which can pick up moisture and in some cases it will find a termite nest. The termatrac also uses two types of moisture sensing . The two types are direct moisture sensing which is better technology than the old resistant types. The other is relative moisture which can help detecting the source of the moisture. The relative setting is also great for pinpointing nests or sub nests in the house.
To Book your inspection : Give Vicki or lauren a call on 32008586 and they will be happy to hear from you. To Book online just fill out the form for a Quick Quote
You can book your inspection and include a pest control and will only cost $425.00 saving $75.00.
Pre Purchase Building and Pest Inspections
Thermal Camera Finding Termites