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Leak Detection Methods and Services

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Using the right leak detection methods can save lots of time with any type of leak!

This week I was called out to a leak detection job in Whitford, and when I arrived, the client told me they had been chasing this leak for 5 years! They had a deck replaced and re-waterproofed, roof flashings replaced, roofers in to seal everything they could… and as a result the leak ‘appeared’ to be fixed.

Not to be. With some driving rain, the leak reared it’s ugly head again 6 months later and made its way back onto the loungeroom floor through the ceiling above. Long story short…

I found the leak in 15 minutes flat… on a sunny day!

It all comes down to the method of leak detection you use… simple as that. Like any other profession, you see the same issues over and over again in houses once you’ve been in the game long enough, and this was a classic example of the home owner doing things the wrong way around.

Wouldn’t you agree that it makes sense to find out where the leak is coming in before calling a waterproofing company to look at your deck/roof? Of course they are going to sell you their service. Our leak detection services here in NZ are independant, meaning we don’t sell you remedial services once we find the problem.

In this case the thermal imaging camera was used to pinpoint signs of the leak location, and experienced ‘leak detective’ methods were employed.

We have a process of elimination leak detection system and methods that logically takes us to where the leak is coming in… all without needing to damage any part of your house… no holes in the walls!

How to Find Leaks in Waterproofing Membranes

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Detecting water leaks in waterproofing membranes with pinpoint accuracy has just become a reality here in NZ thanks to the latest electronic field mapping leak detection service.

Flood testing used to be the only effective way to determine if/where a membrane was leaking… but there are plenty of downsides to using this method of leak testing. What if you have a roof surface area of 1000 sqm? That’s a lot of water to flood test!

Electronic advances in NZ have now made is much easier to find a membrane leak.

New and Proven. Electronic field mapping will detect any breaches in either new or old membranes with pin point accuracy (excluding black butanol), by ‘charging’ the surface area with low voltage, thus creating a potential difference on conductive and non-conductive surfaces like decks, which is earthed or grounded. Water is still used as the conductive medium with this method, but there is no need to flood the area. The advanced leak detection device then reads the electronic flow across the surface and will pinpoint any ‘vectors’ (where the leak(s) is occurring).

This is an excellent option with new installations to assure the client of quality workmanship before signing off on the job.

What type of applications can this method be used for?

Leaks under a roof garden, Roofs with ballast, Tiled decks, Leak detection through paving stones, Insulated and non-insulated roof structures, Structural decks, Swimming pools, Vertical walls and many more.

For those of you in the construction game, you know perfectly well how hard it can be to track down a leak in a building you’ve built… especially under flat roofs. The problem with water is that it takes the path of least resistance which means the leak and the leak source can be up to 30 meters apart (ugly)!

What if there’s a large building over the top of an underground car park leak? This would normally take lots of trial and error, ‘theories’ from multiple contractors you have to pay for, and your time to nut out the leak penetration point. No more! These types of leaks can now be ‘express’ detected using electronic leak mapping.

Got a waterproofing warrantee that’s about to expire?

Get a check up for any pin holes or breaches in the membrane before the expiration date!

This new method is a simple and logical way test new installations for leaks before covering the membrane over, and finding tricky leaks… and there is only one company with the exclusive rights to this high tech leak detection technology in New Zealand, and the field mapping technicians are internationally trained.

Other services: Waterproofing leaks in concrete, waterproofing bricks, resealing water seeping into basements under block, waterproofing leaking block walls and more.

Infrared Electrical Surveys – 2000+ Switchboards Imaged

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Our company has successfully conducted infrared electrical surveys on 1000’s of switchboards in NZ.

With more and more insurance companies referring their commercial clients to us, infra red electrical surveys are quickly becoming the most requested service we offer… all over NZ. Infrared thermographic imaging allows us to quickly and easily determine if an electrical fault is ‘in the making’, allowing you to make a targetted repairs without causing further faults in the system down stream.

If you’ve never had your company switchboards imaged with an infrared camera, then now could be the time. The other advantage to our service, is that we can see if the boards have been neglected, dusty, rats living inside etc etc… all the potential fire dangers that you may not have thought of. Rats like to chew the insulation off wiring, so we’ll keep an eye out for those types of small issues on the way around your switchgear as part of the service.

We are a preferred supplier of thermographic infrared electrical surveys all over NZ, so we can certainly service your company with our accurate service and reporting standards which will comply with insurance company requirements. Read about the types of companies we already service here…

http://findaleak.co.nz/results-thermal-imaging-of-electrical-switchboards.html

Roof Leak Repairs – Companies Who Fix Roof Leaks

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With so much rain in NZ, roof leak detection and repairs are the most common request we get!

To start with, you need a company who has specific knowledge about how to repair roof leaks, not just a roofing company who only sells complete re-roofing options!

Simple. A roofing company could try to sell you a complete new roof, but a specialised roof repair company will most likely do a target fix. You MUST ask the right questions if you are serious about finding a company who fixes roof leaks cheap, without giving you the hard sell!

Make sure their website is tailored towards solutions about how to fix a roof leak, not total reroof options. You should quickly be able to establish what their ‘angle’ is… keeping in mind that some companies who repair roof leaks in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and anywhere is NZ could give you an initial consultation free… then they’ll climb your roof and give you a quote etc etc… normally painting the worst possible picture they can paint. MAKE SURE you get 3 quotes!

Here’s why…

Many home owners simply don’t have time to wait around to get 3 quotes, and if the first roof repair company looks good, they’ll take it! Seriously, the difference between quotes could be up to $3000 on an average size home (200sqm), so tread carefully. We don’t sell solutions to repair roof leaks, as we are independant inspectors with no vested interest to sell anything beyond what we are hired to do… and that’s to find the leak.

A thermal imaging roof inspection could detect the leak within meters of the origin of the issue, before a ‘roof specialist’ even arrives… giving you a more accurate idea of where the leak is entering the building envelope.

Take care with your home, and take the logical path to find leaking issues in your building before accepting any quotes. Infrared leak detection could narrow down where the leak is coming into your home, giving you more ‘bargaining power’ against the contractor who you hire to execute the repair.

Insurance companies hire us to find leaks… so should you if you require an unbiased approach and reporting.

Locating Leak Damage on Wall Frame Stud

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Moisture or leaks infiltrating your wall frame studs can cause problems, regardless if the timber is treated or not.

One of the most common questions I get asked when someone calls me for a pre purchase thermal leak inspection, is “Should I worry about getting a leak/moisture test because the timber is treated?”. YES!

For example: Lets say the home is only 4 years old (Built to the new building code… treated timber on external framing), and there was a window joinery failure from day 1. If the window has been getting hit by wind driven rain on a regular basis, then ‘gradual leak damage’ could occur on the timber framing if the water didn’t get out through the cavity. The same scenario would apply  for pre 1992 built homes… in fact, the timber framing will rot no matter when the place was built if enough water gets to it.

Here’s an infrared thermal imaging leak photo of a wet wall stud in a home with treated timber…

The darker wall stud is a different temperature... couldn't be seen on the wall as indicated in right hand image
The darker wall stud is a different temperature... couldn't be seen on the wall as indicated in right hand image

Locating a leak in one section of a wall can be simple with the right leak detection equipment. If you have any doubt at all in the home you are buying… get it checked for leaks, because the home owner may have fixed the source of the leak, but not the damage it caused along the way.

The benefit of our thermal imaging camera, is that ‘tricky’ vendors who paint over walls and ceilings in an attempt to hide leak marks will get caught out, because if there is moisture on the gib at the time of inspection, no paint will hide it, as it will be a different temperature… which is exactly what our infrared camera will detect and locate.

Moisture Meter – Measuring Moisture Content of Wood

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We have a serious moisture problem in this country when untreated timber comes into the picture!

The moisture content within timber has a very important bearing on the uses for that type of wood. Having a good understanding of how moisture and leaks effect timber types is therefore critical to determine utilization. Moisture meters are the fast way to read moisture levels in wood.

Here’s a quick lesson about wood moisture, how it works in timber… and why we have leaky homes and leaky buildings in NZ:

The makeup on wood is best described as 1000’s of tiny cells… and within those cells are cell walls and cavities. Heartwood and Sapwood in their raw form (freshly cut) are saturated with moisture, and you may have noticed this yourself when you cut down a tree. In between the saturated cells are very small spaces of air. Once the wood has been cut, and the drying out process of the timber begins, the first part of the cell to loose it’s moisture content is the cell cavity, and then the cell wall.

Important to understand: Once the moisture from the timber cell walls has completely evaporated and the timber itself has somewhat shrunk in the process, the woods moisture content will then be in equilibrium with its surroundings (EMC – Equilibrium Moisture Content).

Once the timber framework of your home has been put in place by the builder, from then on its integrity and life span will be subject to the variations in surrounding relative humidity (and to a lesser extent, temperature). In general, most countries around the world including New Zealand, will have wide variances in humidity between winter and summer months, therefore the Equilibrium Moisture Content of the timber will affected (swelling and shrinking) if it wasn’t originally dried to the average moisture content is will attain in use. That’s why moisture meters quickly help us to determine if the timber is either dried out, or wet.

Are you starting to get the picture about why the high moisture content in untreated timber is causing major issues here is NZ with leaky buildings?

How does temperature affect moisture readings?

Most companies will initially calibrate their moisture meters around 19 -21 degress. The problem with people who aren’t experienced and don’t know how to use a moisture meter correctly, is they aren’t aware of how to add or subject readings based on temperature corrections. The basic rule of thumb, is that you subtract 1 from the meter reading either way per 5 degrees in temperature variance (this only applies up to 70 degrees in temp). The best moisture meters for sale in NZ will have this correction feature as a function.

You should have knowledge about the different timber species used in NZ buildings prior to arriving at a benchmark moisture percentage to work with. Treated and untreated timber will require adjustments. Untreated timber will actually give the most true reading because there aren’t any chemical preservatives to throw the moisture reading out.

We use a moisture meter to test NZ houses daily, and it works out cheaper for us to do the moisture inspection for you then buying one for yourself. 

(Source: Some of the above info was provided by NZ Forest Research Institute)

Thermal Imaging of Computer Data Centres

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Do you have  a computer data centre that your company relies on to make money? 

Having access to your data is absolutely critical, and the last thing you need is a shutdown due to an overheated component. Periodic thermal imaging inspections of your data center should be seriously considered in your regular maintenace scheduales.

As of late, some insurance companies are now insisting on thermal inspections of data centers to reduce their chances of having to pay out on a claim due to failed equipment and lost data.

What type of potential issues are we looking for?

Most data centers and computer systems work in such a way, that if one component fails, then all other components relying on that one failed component will most likely fail also. When we conduct the infrared inspections of your computer systems, we prefer to start at the original source that is powering the whole system, then work our way back towards the computer. The inspection needs to be conducted during business hours to ensure maximum power load is being drawn through your system (There’s no point inspecting a data centre running at 50% capacity, as a vital fault area could be missed).

We will also check any back up generator systems that the data center is connected to. Again, we need to have someone on site who has the knowledge of how to switch the system over to back up so we can test it under load.

Step 1: We check out the main switchboard which feeds your computer system for loose connections, hot spots, faulty switches etc.

Step 2: Your UPS (uninterruptible power supply). We conduct a thermal scan on all terminals, inverters (where capacitors and fuses are housed), and input connections.

Step 3: Your system should have a battery section. We check to see how fast they heat up and cool down. Batteries that may need replacement will  generally heat up and cool down quickly (the cells have failed).

We take several other steps as we head ‘downstream’ towards the server racks and beyond.

At the end of the day, your company and customers need a reliable computer system to avoid financial loses. Most of the companies who set up and maintain large data centres are usually on the ball… but they won’t see what an infrared thermal imaging camera will see. Too many companies get caught out with electrical failures because they don’t check in advance before they happen. Does your company? Once you see how our thermal camera detects faults in computer systems, you’ll quickly see why insurance companies are taking advantage of our service.

If you’ve never had a thermal imaging inspection as part of your computer data centre preventative maintenance scheduale, then give us a call for a free quote! We’ll get the job done, and provide you with a written report with all infrared images taken during the inspection.

Marketing and Selling a House with Known Leaks

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Does your real estate agent have a good poker face?

Home buyers… there are still real estate agents in NZ who are willing to say whatever it takes to get pen on paper. Most agents are above board and ethical… but you get the odd one who needs to make money and has a good poker face when it comes to telling you how “they don’t know of any leaking issues with the home“. (Even if there is water dripping through a ceiling like the case below).

Today was a classic example which you may be able to relate too, or it may sound familiar. It went something like this…

1) It was a rainy day and the home owner decided they were sick and didn’t want anyone around at the house. We put the heat on them for cancelling the infrared inspection at the last minute. The buyer got his way and we got into the home to do the inspection as per original plan.

2) We get in the house, and the first thing I see is the cleaner with a mop and bucket in hand? So much for no-one being welcome that day. You’ll see why the cleaner was really there in a moment.

3) Before I started the thermal imaging inspection, the real estate agent tells me “the home owners are pedantic and very fussy, and if there were any leaks they would have had them fixed”. I took her on face value (Turns out to be ‘poker face’ value)

4) The very first room I find a leak with the infrared camera… and this continued for the first 3 rooms. 3 rooms, three leaks. Hmmm.

5) I then see the cleaner moping the tiled floor in the next room we were about to moisture test. She then leaves, and what do you think the first thing we see is? Water dripping from the top of the door frame onto the floor! The cleaner was staying one step ahead of us moping up the leaks hoping we wouldn’t see any signs! Are you kidding me!!! She did this on two occasions and got caught both times. Little did she know that a thermal imaging camera will see the leaks anyway.

6) To cut a long story short, there was a total of 14 leaks throughout the house, and 12 of these were big ones. Here’s just one of them…

Water dripping onto the floor through this leak
Water dripping onto the floor through this leak

I like most agents, and I get plenty of work through them… and most of realtors do disclose everything for their own sake… but some just aren’t following the rules.

Summary: You can’t point the finger at the agent if you buy a home that leaks because you didn’t get it tested first on your own accord. Regardless of the marketing and verbal representations made when buying a house, it’s up to you to do your own research.

Do Solid Block Houses Leak? – Wet Batons

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Are you considering buying a solid block house?

Is there any point getting it checked for water leaks?

The general perception about homes made of solid block, is that they will never fall down and won’t leak… so there’s no real need to get a pre purchase  leak inspection before buying. This is not true… you certainly can get water seeping through block walls and rotting the batons and carpet etc. I’ve seen it many times over.

Rotted batons below ground level
Rotted batons below ground level

The most likely scenario for such leaks to occur, is when the floor level of the house is below the ground level directly outside the area. The other reason the batons behind the wall will rot is there’s a roof leak travelling down the wall.

In general, block houses are more solid and less likely to leak then other traditional building methods, but are you prepared to take the risk of buying an ongoing hidden leak for the sake of spending a few hundred dollars for a thermal inspection prior to buying?

Fortunatly the owner of the above home is ethical and is doing the right thing. At the time of this building inspection, he was in the process of repairing and sealing the block wall prior to selling the house. You can actually seal block/brick wall to prevent water leaking through, but it’s a very vulnerable area that isn’t straight forward to fix long term.

If you are buying a house with any external wall of the home below ground level (i.e. Built into the side of a hill), then certainly consider getting a thermal imaging leak inspection… it could make a huge difference to your purchase price if the structural intergrity of the area has failed. Leaks can be a real pain… so find out first!

Some leaks found during home inspections are nothing to really worry about (like an internal plumbing leak). It’s the leaks inside external walls that are the ‘not so friendly’ ones… regardless if it’s a solid block home or standard home with timber framing (especially plaster cladding homes with no cavity).

One question I commonly get asked from buyers, is “How many homes do you inspect wouldn’t have any leaks?”. The answer is about 5%. Yes, 5%. But… there are good leaks, and bad leaks. Good ones can be fixed easy at low cost and most likely have caused minimal structural damage. Then you have the monster leaks that travel down between the walls, penetrate the timber, saturate the insulation, rot the bottom plate, blow out the skirting board then make their way onto your carpet and saturate the underlay in the process. Most homes will leak at some stage… it’s just a matter to what extent. Even new homes leak if there’s a failure in the window joinery, or the shower hasn’t been sealed correctly. These are all things you need to know before paying the $$$. 

FACT: You will not see the leaks that I will see when walking through a house due to the high tech equipment that I use (I wouldn’t see these leaks with my naked eye either)… and that’s why you should consider getting thermal imaging during your buying process. It may be cheaper than you think… and certainly a great peace of mind after you move in!

Thermal Imaging Surveys

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Thermal imaging surveys are what we do everyday right across NZ!

Everything you need to know about thermal imaging in right here on this website.

Since the new requirements from several insurance companies for an electrical thermal imaging survey prior to issuing an insurance policy on commercial buildings, enquires through our website have surged dramatically. Some companies are now using our service exclusively for their thermal surveys because they know our reporting standards are compliant with what all insurance companies require.

If your insurance company does not accept our report, then we’ll give you your money back! (We have never had to refund anybody).

With the growing demand for thermal imaging survey services in general, there are now more ‘newbie’ companies getting into the business, so here’s why you should be very careful with who you choose…

You will notice that the majority of companies who now offer electrical infrared surveys, also happen to be in the business of fixing the faults they find. Do you think these companies are going to possibly find more faults and ‘bigger’ issues then there actually are? In some cases they will, so they can then sell you the work to fix the problems… therefore you could get a biased thermal imaging survey that channels towards the thermographers back pocket.

The reason we have so many repeat clients, is because we do not sell electrical services at the end of the job… guaranteed. No matter if we find 1 fault, 10 faults or zero faults within your electrical switchboards, it makes absolutley no difference to us.

You can view the types of clients who use our thermographic survey service – HERE

One other ‘catch’ you need to keep an eye out for, is if you get any other quotes, make 100% sure they are certified thermal imaging surveyors… there is a big difference between buying an infrared camera and being certified to operate it!

We look forward to hearing from you, and possibly completing your thermal imaging survey requirements. All reports on small-medium size jobs (between 1 – 70 switchboards) have a 48hr report turn around time. Larger jobs are between 24 – 72 hrs… and the report will be accepted by your insurance company or your money back.