I started using them after missing a slow leak that didn’t show up until the ceiling sagged... definitely changed my approach.
That’s a tough lesson—I’ve had a similar situation with a flat roof where pooling water hid a problem for months. I use moisture meters now, but I’m still not sure if infrared is worth the extra cost for smaller buildings. Do you find it catches things the meter misses?
- Honestly, I’ve never bothered with infrared for my own place.
- Moisture meters have caught every issue I’ve had so far—usually it’s the obvious stuff like around skylights or old flashing.
- Had a buddy try infrared on his small commercial building, but the tech flagged a bunch of “cold spots” that turned out to be nothing. He spent more chasing ghosts than fixing real leaks.
- For a big warehouse or something with a ton of insulation, maybe it’s worth it. On a regular flat roof? I’m not convinced.
- I just check after big storms and keep an eye out for stains or soft spots. If you’re already using a meter and doing visual checks, that covers most bases in my experience.
- Not saying it’s useless, but for smaller roofs, feels like overkill unless you’ve got a chronic mystery leak you can’t track down.
I’ve got a small office roof (just over 1,000 sq ft, flat, old torch-down), and I’ve never bothered with infrared either. I do a walk-around after storms and poke around the seams and drains. Had one leak years ago near a vent—spotted the stain before any gadget would’ve, honestly. Maybe if I had a huge warehouse or something with layers of insulation I’d consider the fancy scans, but for basic stuff, visual checks and a cheap moisture meter seem to do the trick.
“Maybe if I had a huge warehouse or something with layers of insulation I’d consider the fancy scans, but for basic stuff, visual checks and a cheap moisture meter seem to do the trick.”
I hear you on the “fancy scans” not being worth it for a small, simple roof. I manage a handful of buildings—most are in the 1,000-2,000 sq ft range, nothing crazy—and I’m with you: nothing beats just getting up there and poking around after a storm. I’ve found more issues with a flashlight and a screwdriver than any gadget would’ve caught.
That said, I’ve gotten burned by “just visual” checks before. Had a spot last year where water was getting in under the membrane, but the surface looked fine. No stains inside, nothing obvious outside. Only reason I found it was because I happened to press down near a drain and felt the squish. Pulled back the edge and found the start of some rot. If I’d waited for a stain to show up inside, I’d have been looking at drywall repairs too.
I’m not saying everyone needs to shell out for infrared, but sometimes those leaks hide better than we think. For me, I’ve started doing a more thorough check twice a year—spring and fall—plus after any big storm. I’ll still skip the high-tech stuff unless there’s a real mystery leak, but I’ve added a cheap moisture meter to my toolkit. Worth it for peace of mind.
One thing I’ve noticed: older torch-down roofs can look fine for years and then suddenly start splitting at the seams. If you’re seeing even tiny cracks or the granules are coming off, it might be time to budget for a re-coat or patch job. I waited too long once and paid for it.
Long story short—visual checks are great, but don’t trust your eyes alone every time. A little paranoia goes a long way with flat roofs.
“A little paranoia goes a long way with flat roofs.”
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen leaks sneak in under the radar, especially on older torch-downs like you mentioned. Visual checks are good, but that moisture meter is a smart move. I used to think a quick walk-around was enough, but after missing a soft spot by a vent last spring, I’m more thorough now. Twice a year plus after storms sounds about right, honestly. Better safe than sorry when it comes to water damage.
