Commercial Roofing Services

Infrared Moisture Survey in Federal Way, WA

The infrared crew arrives on a Federal Way, WA roof in the late afternoon, after a sunny day has loaded the surface with heat. Wet insulation holds that heat longer than dry insulation, so as the roof cools after sunset, the damp areas glow warmer on the camera. The crew marks each warm patch in paint and then confirms it with a meter or a core cut. The scan finds the pattern, and the cores prove it.

The point of the survey is a decision. An owner with a leaking roof, a recover in mind or a sale ahead needs to know how much of the roof is wet and where. A survey turns a guess into a mapped number.

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How does the scan work step by step?

The crew starts by sweeping the roof clear of debris and noting recent weather. Then comes a baseline walk with a capacitance moisture meter at spot locations, followed by the infrared pass at the right hour. Every thermal anomaly gets a paint outline and a photograph, and a scale drawing of the roof records the outlines to measurable size.

Cores come next. A small circular cut at selected anomalies and at a few control spots shows the layers and the moisture in the insulation, and the cut is patched immediately with a matching plug and sealant. The cores separate wet insulation from false alarms, such as a dark patch, a pipe below the deck or a change in material.

A survey is often the follow-up to a leak call. After a leak repair, the scan shows whether water has spread into the insulation around the entry point, and how far. It also helps after a heavy season, when the owner wants to know whether the roof dried out or kept the water. The crew leader walks the outlines with the property manager on the roof, so the paint marks and the drawing agree before anyone leaves the building.

When does an infrared survey work best?

Conditions matter. The roof needs sun during the day, a clear evening and little wind, so the heat difference between wet and dry insulation shows. Heavy rain in the past day or two can hide the pattern, and a roof that has been wet for days can show broad false readings. That is a challenge in the Puget Sound lowlands, where Auburn, down the Green River corridor, sees 37.1 inches of precipitation in a year. For that reason we plan surveys for the drier part of the year when possible, and we watch the forecast for a stretch of dry days. July is the driest month at 0.9 inches in Auburn. In the wet months we wait for a break and note the conditions in the report, because a reading taken in poor conditions deserves less weight.

What does the report tell you?

The report gives a roof plan with the wet areas outlined, the percentage of the roof affected, the core logs with photographs and a recommendation. Wet areas can be isolated and repaired in some cases. In others, the area is so large that a tear-off is the economical choice, and we say that plainly with the numbers. The survey also guides the budget. A repair of a few outlined areas is a small, near-term cost, and a replacement is a capital item that can be planned over a year or more. The report separates the two so that the owner can fund the urgent area first.

Those numbers shape the options. A small wet area near a drain suggests a localized repair and a new drain detail. A wet area spread across the field points toward a full replacement. A mostly dry roof with a few wet spots might qualify for a recover over the existing roof once the wet insulation is cut out and replaced.

Which buildings are best suited to a survey?

Surveys work best on low-slope roofs with insulation above the deck: built-up, modified bitumen and single-ply systems on warehouses, retail centers, schools and offices. Ballasted roofs and heavy gravel surfaces are harder to scan, and metal roofs call for other methods.

Natural candidates include any large low-slope roof, whether a retail building around Federal Way City Center or an industrial building in Fife and the Kent Valley. For a portfolio, a survey that covers every building gives the owner a ranked view of which roofs hold the most moisture, and that supports roof capital planning across the properties.

Does a survey help in a sale or a claim?

A buyer's team often wants to know how much wet insulation sits under a roof before closing. A mapped survey gives a defensible answer, and it can be priced into the deal. A lender can use the same document to size a reserve.

For insurance, a survey after a storm separates new water entry from long-term moisture, which helps an adjuster understand the loss. We record what we see and leave coverage decisions to the carrier. The same record fits a due diligence roof survey when the building is changing hands.

What can a survey not tell you?

A thermal image shows a temperature difference, not a cause. A warm patch can be wet insulation, but it can also be a thicker section of insulation, a patch from an earlier repair or a mechanical line below. That is why the cores matter. We also cannot see through some roof types, such as thick ballast, and we say so before the visit.

Surveys are a snapshot. Moisture moves, so a roof with an active leak should be surveyed after the leak is repaired and again a year later if the owner wants to track drying. We schedule the second pass at the same time of year, with the same method, so the comparison means something.

Commercial Roofing Questions

How many core cuts will you make on my roof?

The number follows the anomalies and the roof size. We cut at each outlined wet area that needs confirming and at a few dry control locations. Every cut is patched the same day with a matching plug and sealant, and the cores are photographed for the report.

Can a survey be done in the rain season?

It can, but the results are weaker if the roof has been soaked for days. We wait for a dry stretch, usually a few clear days with a sunny afternoon, and note the weather in the report. In a wet winter we may use meter readings and cores more heavily and the scan less.

Will the survey tell me whether to repair or replace a Kent warehouse roof?

It gives the data for that decision. The wet area as a share of the roof, the condition of the membrane and the age of the system together point to repair or replacement. We lay out both prices beside the survey results so the choice is clear.

Does a green or gravel roof change the method?

Yes. Gravel and ballast insulate the surface and blur the thermal contrast, so we rely more on meters and cores. Vegetated roofs are surveyed differently again. We review the roof type before booking and tell you which method fits.

Who should be present on survey day?

A facility contact who can open the roof and tell us about recent leaks is enough. If the building has tenants beneath the area under test, tell them to expect brief activity overhead. We tell the property manager when the crew will be on site.