Do you live in a home that has cracks in the cladding?

Cracks in any type of cladding can let in water… please view the thermal imaging photo below:

Yesterday I had a special request from an Auckand home owner who had noticed a crack appear in his monolithic plaster cladding. We only perform infrared inspections from the inside of the home unless requested otherwise, but in this case the cladding was still under warranty and he needed some kind of visual evidence from a third party to determine if water could be penetrating the cladding.

The righthand photo below shows a crack in the cladding as you and I would see it with the naked eye, and the lefthand photo shows how the infrared camera sees the same crack. Please note that water was found dripping out the top of a ranch slider door on the interior of the home directly below this crack… (keep reading underneath the photo)

The red colour around the crack in the thermal image above indicates a thermal anomoly that is not consistant in colour with the rest of the wall. Moisture behind this plaster would show up as a different temperature to the dry area, hence the reason the infrared camera has displayed a different colour (Certainly a ‘red flag’ in most cases)

If you already own a home that has cracks in the cladding, then a moisture test on the immediate interior wall area could be a wise choice before the problem gets out of hand… ESPECIALLY if there is still a warranty on the home.

All New Zealand home owners with a valid warranty on their home, be it the cladding, the roof or a general ‘new home’ warranty should always get a check-up prior to the warranty expiring as a last minute safeguard of your investment.