Infrared Thermal Imaging is latest in high technology to help pest control inspectors locate hard to find termites, wood destroying fungi and toxic molds, it assists the inspector to inspect a structure with little or no destructive work, this new non-evasive and accurate inspection technology saves the consumer time and money. To greatly reduce liability and any unnecessary costs of misdiagnosing there are about four or five inspection procedures to take, using an infrared camera the inspector is actually able to see the infestation from outside the wall, ceiling or floor we do not need to tear out moldings, make holes in drywall or tile, how does this work when termites are cold blooded and are the same temperature as their surroundings? The termite is cold blooded yet when consuming food (wood) an enzyme inside their abdomens that breaks up the woods cellulose actually becomes warm, the thermal camera is able to pick up this small heat difference right through the wall or ceiling. Mold and wood destroying fungi are cooler in temperatures which also can be clearly seen with the infrared camera. The new procedures include the following;
1) Regular visual inspection; this step is usually the one and only step most other inspection companies perform which sometimes may be misdiagnosed. CCS starts their inspection from the exterior foundation and surrounding landscape, stucco and trim, then we then go through the crawlspace/basement (if any) to the interior and attic searching for any apparent signs of termites, fungi and/or toxic mold as well as any conditions that are the cause of these infestations, in our written report we will advise you of how to keep your home properly conditioned to help avoid infestations.
2) Infrared Thermal Imaging: During the regular inspection CCS will scan the suspected all areas with the infrared camera in attempt to locate and confirm an infestation, instead of tearing out drywall, flooring or other coverings infrared technology is non-evasive and can be used to scan walls, ceilings, floors, etc. to search for abnormal heat differences and specific patterns in and around the wood members that are noticeable.
If we determine that the conditions are ripe for infestation, suspect an infestation or observe signs of an active infestation we will then conduct the following procedures;
3) High Tech Audio equipment; to confirm the visual and Infrared inspections we then take our ultra-sensitive audio sensor equipment, probe the specific areas and listen in on the suspect termite infestation, the equipment that we use is so sensitive and accurate that we are able to clearly listen to the termites moving about inside the wall or ceiling voids and with this equipment we can actually hear them eating. Termites make distinctive sounds and even more so if disturbed they will make certain defense noises as they will hit their heads against the wood, this is called head banging. This is high quality equipment from (Goldak Detectors) and was originally designed for underground water leak detection however when I read about this device on the internet I thought it might help to locate termites in wall and ceiling voids, after trying it out I found that the equipment works as if it was designed for termite inspections.
4) Fiber Optics camera DVD; When termites are confirmed I then drill a small ¾” inch hole into the suspect areas and I insert a fiber optic DVD camera and record the infestation and damages if it is determined that the damage is minimal and there’s no need to replace wood members we simply can apply the required or requested pesticide and close the holes up, if wood member replacement is required the alleged damage is recorded as evidence and proof.
5) In case of toxic mold; CCS can take swab samples of the any mold infestation and send them to a laboratory for a quick analysis, determining the mold type and its exact level of toxicity. We also have air quality testing equipment that absorbs the amount of mold spores that are being distributed inside and outside the home, office or building.
The extra technology that we possess is for accuracy in determining the correct method of locating and removing wood destroying pests and repairing the damaged areas, this accurate and almost fool proof equipment is designed to help the consumer save money and protect their investment and their family.
