- Gotta say, I’ve seen those IR scans actually catch stuff you’d never spot with just a flashlight. Had a buddy whose ceiling looked totally fine, but the scan picked up a weird cold line—turned out there was a slow leak from a nail pop that hadn’t shown up yet. Saved him a ton of hassle down the road.
- That said, I agree, sometimes it’s just drafts or weird airflow, especially in older houses. Not every blue blob means disaster. The tech’s only as good as the person using it, honestly.
- I wouldn’t write off the gadgets completely, though. They’re not magic, but they can be a solid backup to old-school checks. If the inspector can’t explain what he’s seeing, that’s more on him than the tool.
- Personally, I’d rather have too much info than miss something major. But yeah, ripping out insulation just because of a color gradient? Bit much unless there’s other signs.
- End of the day, common sense plus a second opinion usually wins.
Not every blue blob means disaster. The tech’s only as good as the person using it, honestly.
That’s a fair point—interpretation is everything with IR scans. I’ve seen cases where a “cold spot” was just a poorly insulated soffit, not a leak. Out of curiosity, has anyone had an inspector actually walk you through the scan results in detail? I find that when they overlay the images with actual roof diagrams, it’s way easier to connect the dots and avoid unnecessary repairs. Wondering if that’s standard or just luck of the draw...
Mine just emailed me a PDF with a bunch of colored blobs and a one-line summary—no explanation at all. I had to Google half the terms. Is it normal for them to skip the walkthrough? Maybe I just got a lazy inspector...
Mine just emailed me a PDF with a bunch of colored blobs and a one-line summary—no explanation at all.
That’s not how it should go, at least in my experience. Every time I’ve had a roof inspection, the inspector either walked me through the findings in person or at least called to explain the report. I’d be annoyed too—those PDFs are basically useless if you can’t understand them. Maybe it’s a new “efficient” thing, but honestly, if you’re paying for an inspection, you deserve more than a cryptic email. I’d push back and ask for a proper explanation. Last time I did, the guy actually found a few things he’d missed the first round.
those PDFs are basically useless if you can’t understand them
I’ve run into this a few times, and it’s honestly baffling. Last year, I got a “report” that was just a bunch of infrared images with red and blue splotches—no legend, no context, just a line saying “areas of concern noted.” What are we supposed to do with that? I always wonder if these inspectors assume everyone’s got a background in thermography or something.
I usually end up calling and asking for a breakdown, but sometimes I get the sense they’re just rushing through jobs. Has anyone else noticed this trend? Maybe it’s just my area (Midwest, lots of hail claims lately), but it feels like the personal touch is disappearing.
For what it’s worth, I’ve started requesting sample reports before hiring anyone new. If they can’t show me a clear, detailed example, I move on. Curious if people have had better luck with certain types of roofers or if this is just the new normal...
