Roof moisture surveys: infrared thermography and EFVM leak detection
A visual inspection shows you the surface of a roof. Trapped water, wet insulation and pinhole breaches sit underneath it. ARMS owns its own infrared thermography and EFVM equipment, so we can map moisture and trace leaks without subcontracting the diagnostics. If you're new to either method, this page explains both in plain terms.
What's included
- Infrared (IR) thermography moisture surveys
- Electric field vector mapping (EFVM) leak detection
- Moisture mapping on a roof plan
- Survey findings in the standard ARMS report format
- Accurate repair scoping based on what we found
Want this on a schedule? Maintenance programs bundle inspections, housekeeping, repairs and reporting into one annual contract. Compare Side ARMS, Strong ARMS and Fully ARMed.
How it works
Scope the roof
We review the roof system and size to choose the right method, IR, EFVM or both.
Survey
Infrared thermography looks for temperature patterns that can indicate wet insulation. EFVM uses a low-voltage electrical field to locate breaches in the membrane.
Map it
Suspect areas go onto a roof plan so wet sections and breach locations are easy to find again.
Decide with data
You get a written moisture survey summary you can use to scope repairs, plan budgets or decide between repair and restoration.
Step by step: How an IR or EFVM moisture survey works. Scoping, the conditions each method needs, the survey itself and the report you get.
Infrared and EFVM in plain English
Both methods answer the same question, where is the water?, from different directions.
Infrared (IR) thermography uses a thermal camera to read surface temperatures across the roof. A roof soaks up heat during a day with full sun. As it cools in the evening, dry areas cool off quickly, while wet insulation holds its heat longer. That's why infrared scans are conducted in the evening after a day with full sun. On a thermal image those wet areas show up as warmer patches, so IR is an efficient way to map suspected wet insulation across a large roof.
Electric field vector mapping (EFVM) looks for the hole rather than the wet area. The roof surface is wetted and a low-voltage electrical field is set up across it. Where the membrane is intact, nothing happens. Where there's a breach, current flows through the water to the deck below, and the technician follows the direction of the field to the spot. That makes EFVM good at finding small breaches that are hard to see, including pinholes and open seams.
Infrared vs EFVM at a glance
| Compared | Infrared (IR) thermography | Electric field vector mapping (EFVM) |
|---|---|---|
| What it finds | Areas of wet insulation under the membrane | Breaches in the membrane: holes, open seams and failed details |
| How it works | A thermal camera reads temperature differences as the roof cools in the evening after a day with full sun | A low-voltage field on a wetted roof surface; current flows through a breach to the deck |
| Best used for | Mapping how much of a large roof is wet; restore-or-replace decisions; capital planning | Pinpointing where water gets in; leaks that keep coming back; checking repaired areas |
| Conditions it needs | Scanned in the evening after a day with full sun, with a dry roof surface | The surface is wetted for the test; EFVM mapping is effective on black EPDM |
| Limits | Shows where water is, not always where it got in; less useful over insulation that absorbs little water | Shows entry points, not how far water has spread |
| What you get | Wet areas marked on the roof plan, with photos, in the standard ARMS report | Breach locations marked on the roof plan, with photos, in the standard ARMS report |
When a moisture survey pays off
- A leak that won't stay fixed. Water travels before it shows up inside. If the same area keeps leaking, the entry point is often somewhere other than the obvious spot.
- Before restoration or a coating. Coatings belong only over sound substrates. A survey shows whether the insulation under the membrane is dry before you spend money on it. Restoration and life-extension.
- Before you set a roof budget. How much of a roof is wet changes what it needs and when. Survey results feed straight into a condition assessment and capital budget.
- Buying or leasing a building. A survey documents hidden roof conditions that a walk-over can't, before you commit.
- Building the roof record. Findings go into the same report format as every other ARMS visit, so they become part of the building's documented roof history.
What you receive
Every survey ends with a written moisture survey summary in the standard ARMS report format: a roof plan with suspected wet areas or breach locations marked, dated and geotagged photos, findings and recommendations. Because each area is mapped, it's easy to find again for repairs or a follow-up survey. See what's in an ARMS report.
Who performs the survey
Diagnostic work is performed by a trained ARMS technician under the oversight of our founder, Bob Stanley, a Level II Thermographer. Meet the founder. The infrared and EFVM equipment is company-owned, so the diagnostics on your roof aren't subcontracted to someone else.
Frequently asked questions
How can I buy a moisture survey?
Three ways: as a standalone service, bundled into the Fully ARMed maintenance tier (which includes an annual IR or EFVM survey), or as part of how we scope repairs on your roof.
Is the equipment yours or subcontracted?
Ours. ARMS already owns its infrared thermography and EFVM equipment, which most repair-focused contractors don't have in-house.
How is a standalone survey priced?
Standalone surveys are quoted based on roof area. Request a quote and we'll scope it with you.
Should I use infrared or EFVM?
Infrared is best for mapping wet insulation across large areas. EFVM pinpoints breaches in the membrane itself. We own both and recommend whichever fits your roof and the question you need answered, or both when that's what it takes.
Can a survey be done any day?
Not always. Infrared scans are conducted in the evening after a day with full sun, on a dry roof, so they depend on the weather. EFVM needs the roof surface wetted for the test. We schedule each survey around the conditions it needs.
Does a survey damage the roof?
No. Both methods are non-destructive. Infrared is a camera, and EFVM uses water and a low-voltage field on the roof surface.
Where we provide this service
ARMS is based in Martin, Georgia, and serves northeast Georgia, upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina.
Regions
Northeast Georgia county pages
Let's get a baseline on your roof.
Your baseline inspection and condition report are free with an ARMS maintenance program.