Moisture Surveys on Flat Roofs

Infrared investigations allow us to eliminate false or misleading assumptions, such as incorrectly attributing leaks to the flat roofing system when the water is actually entering the building through the exterior walls. If the source of water infiltration is identified incorrectly, the flat roof may be repaired and serviced pointlessly several times in an attempt to find the location of the leak. As the leaks continue, more interior finishes will be damaged, and the cost for repairs will escalate.

In any case, the source or sources of moisture must be found and confirmed; otherwise, the conditions may return soon after the membrane is replaced. Subsurface moisture can lead to damaging mold, insect and animal entry, leaks, and ultimately lost productivity and damage to important company assets. The continued presence of moisture may eventually cause structural damage to the flat roof deck. At Stokes Public Adjusters we eliminate flat roof leaks with no guesswork involved.

How it works?

During the day, the sun radiates energy onto the roof and into the roof substrate, and then at night, the roof radiates the heat back into outer space. This is called radiational cooling. Areas of the roof that are of a higher mass (wet) retain this heat longer than that of the lower mass (dry) areas. The white yellowish areas in the pictures above shows the higher mass retained areas.