Infrared Roof Scanning — Jacksonville, FL

Capability

Infrared roof scanning uses thermographic imaging to locate areas of elevated thermal mass beneath the membrane — the signature of wet insulation that has absorbed heat during the day and releases it more slowly after sunset. We perform post-sunset infrared scans on Jacksonville commercial roofs to map moisture intrusion without invasive testing.

Infrared thermographic scanning is the most efficient non-invasive method for locating wet insulation across large roof areas. Wet insulation absorbs solar heat during the day and retains it after sunset, producing a warmer thermal signature than the surrounding dry insulation. A calibrated infrared camera, scanning the roof field in the post-sunset window — typically 90 minutes to three hours after sunset in Northeast Florida — maps these thermal anomalies as candidate wet zones.

Jacksonville's climate is well-suited to infrared scanning. The city's high average solar radiation ensures that the roof deck absorbs significant heat during the day, producing a strong thermal differential between wet and dry insulation at sunset. The warm ambient temperatures in the spring, summer, and fall inspection windows maintain the thermal signature longer into the evening than colder climates, giving the scanning window more working time. Winter scans in January and February are possible but require more precise timing, as cooler overnight temperatures compress the thermal differential window.

Infrared scanning does not replace moisture cores — it identifies candidate zones that warrant core confirmation. We use infrared scanning as the primary mapping tool, then confirm the wet-zone boundaries with targeted nuclear gauge readings and physical core pulls. The combination produces a moisture map with a high degree of spatial accuracy.

How Infrared Scanning Works on a Jacksonville Commercial Roof

Survey timing: The scan must be performed in the post-sunset window before the roof cools below the threshold where wet-dry thermal differential is legible. In Northeast Florida from April through October, that window typically runs from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm. We assess the day's solar radiation and ambient temperature before each scan to confirm the window is adequate. Overcast days or rainy days in the prior 48 hours can compress or eliminate the thermal differential — we reschedule rather than scan in conditions that will produce unreliable data.

Scanning protocol: We scan the roof field in overlapping passes, photographing each pass with a calibrated infrared camera. Thermal anomalies are marked with field flags and GPS-located where the roof size warrants it. The scan passes are stitched into a composite thermal map of the full roof field during post-processing. We also shoot visible-light photographs at each anomaly location to provide context for the report.

Core confirmation: Thermal anomalies identified by the scan are confirmed with nuclear gauge readings and physical core pulls. The core samples confirm moisture presence, identify the insulation layer carrying the moisture, and allow a visual assessment of insulation condition. Core holes are patched the same night as the survey.

Infrared Scanning Applications for Jacksonville Buildings

Recover vs. replace scoping: Infrared scanning maps the extent of wet insulation on large-footprint buildings — warehouse and distribution facilities near JAXPORT and Cecil Commerce Center, medical campus buildings at UF Health and Baptist Health System on the Southbank, and the large-footprint office buildings in the Baymeadows and Deerwood Park corridors — in a single-night survey that would take many field days to replicate with discrete core pulls alone.

Post-storm moisture mapping: After Hurricane Matthew (2016) and Hurricane Irma (2017), infrared scanning was used on Jacksonville commercial buildings to map storm-driven moisture infiltration distinct from the pre-storm baseline. Buildings with pre-storm infrared baselines in their condition file were in the strongest position to demonstrate storm causation in insurance claims. We offer pre-season baseline infrared surveys as a standalone service for buildings in the hurricane exposure zone.