Are you considering getting into the home inspections business using infrared thermal imaging cameras?

At the bottom of this page, your about to see a 13 second thermal imaging video that has driven 88,000+ visitors to a website. But first, read this article from top to bottom so you understand my point of writing this.

In the past few weeks, i’ve had 6 different emails from start up thermographers asking the same type of question…

“What are the best ways to make money with an infrared camera if I don’t have a background in the home inspections business?”

When you go back to the very basics of thermography theory, it’s all about detecting different heat patterns across a surface. So taking this fact into account, how can you arm yourself with a thermal imaging camera and find a niche market to cash in on? More on this in a moment, but don’t think you need to know how to inspect a house to create cash flow with your imager… that’s only one application!

Some of the most stupid business ideas make more money than you and I will ever have, so lets look at a couple of ideas that are outside the box which could attract web traffic to your website… fast?

What if you had a headline on your website saying…

“The hottest picture of Barack Obama you’ve ever seen!”

or;

“Hot Spot Found on Barack Obamas Neck”

(These are attention grabbing headlines that peak curiousity)

How could you possibly make money from an infrared photo of the American president? Your ‘unique’ infrared image would ‘virally’ be emailed with a link to your website right around the world, especially if you put the image on youtube… then all you need is some google ads on your site (Like the ones to the above right of this message), and you make money everytime someone clicks the ads! This photo of Obama will get viewed 1ooo’s of times on youtube, so more web traffic for you = more money!

Stupid idea right? Well not really…  if you understand the value of web traffic, then this could be a very smart idea. If 20,000 people view the photo on your site, then you might just make yourself $1000 or more just by people clicking your ads on the site… and pick up a few thermal imaging jobs along the way! I said outside the box didn’t I?

You could build your whole online marketing campaign based on imaging ’stupid’ things! Keep reading…

Good marketing starts with good headlines, just like a newspapers front page lead story must catch the eye of passers by to increase readership = more advertising revenue for the publisher.

Carry your camera with you everywhere! What if you drove passed a cow giving birth and captured a portion of it on your IR camera in video mode? If you uploaded that onto youtube, you’ll get 1000’s of web visits that you never would have had. Remember, it’s all about getting traffic to your website, even if it’s slightly unconventional and not 100% inline with your core business.

Case in point: There is a short 13 second infrared video at the bottom of this article that has had over 88,000 views… and the companies website is published on the video to help drive them more visitors!

What makes better headlines in this example…

Bill Clinton granting funds to a charity, or Bill Clinton smoking a cigar with a girl under the desk at the same time? The 2nd example of course, even though it has nothing to do with politics. You can do the same!

People are fasinated with unique thermal imaging photos and videos… so if you take a unique snapshot, then get ready for a storm of web traffic! Here’s a good example of a unique youtube video attracting tonnes of traffic…

Have a good think about what you’ve just read, and apply it to niche examples you can think of. No-one is going to do your online marketing for you… so keep the above info in mind at all times when the camera is in the car!

Creative thinking makes money.

Are you looking for an infrared thermography company in your local area?

Below is a current business directory list of 2010 thermal imaging companies offering infrared imaging services in your local area.

Step 1: Type in your local area into the search box below (EG. If you live in Orange County, USA… type in ‘orange county thermal imaging’ into the box).

Step 2: Pick up the phone and give your local infrared thermography company a call!

*List Your IR Business in this Directory Free - Here*

Do you offer thermal imaging services?

No matter what country you operate in, you can now list your business here on this website for free. Over 100 people per day visit this site looking for local thermography companies to carry out IR inspections on both residential and commercial buildings!

Fill out the form below now, and get your business listed on this website for free! There’s no catch, no ongoing fees… absolutely free.

Note: If your country isn’t listed above, email me at advertising@howtofindaleak.com and i’ll add it in for you.

Now you can drive web traffic to your website for just 4 cents per click!

While most people pay between $1 – $5 per click on google adsense, i’ve been paying an average of just 4 cents per click!

Before I tell you more, here’s proof of my account in the last 7 days of Jan 2010….

 Let me point out why this system is so good… and designed within the google advertising guidelines. In fact, google actually approve my ads for this system before it goes live!

The above arrows point out the following:

• You will see at the top of the page, this is only for 7 days worth of clicks
• 255 clicks in total
• Average cost per click is just 4 cents!
• Average position is 1.4

Can’t complain about any of those stats!

This system is perfect for ANY business with a website, and product/service to sell!

 Guess what, although I use this system for my thermal imaging book, you can use it for ANY type of business. This is the best legal google advertising system you will find for achieving such cheap web traffic!

The manual I have put together will show you how to do this in a STEP BY STEP format. From the moment you open the book, you can follow every step (includes visual images of system set up), and have your own adwords campaign driving traffic to your website within 2hrs of receiving the manual… for pennies on the dollar.

Are you ready for low cost ‘automated’ leads to your website?

You could run as many businesses and different campaigns as you like using this system!

Most companies pay an average of about $1 per click… you pay an average of just 4 cents. Imagine the possibilities! Even if you can only afford to spend just $2 per day on advertising, that would be 5o visitors per day to your website. This could make a huge difference to your business… HUGE!

Now that you’ve seen inside my google account, and witnessed the hard proof the system works, think about what it’s worth?

In 7 days, i’ve spent $9.41 on getting 255 visitors to my infrared website. This amount of web traffic would normally cost  around $255 or more with the traditional adsense method!

You can take this system right now and have it up and running in a matter of hours for as many products or services as you like, 

for just $95!

If you are serious about your thermal imaging business, this product should be a no-brainer. Don’t let your competitors clean up your local web traffic!

Note: You need to run the system exactly as I have outlined for it to work.

Michigan Infrared Leak Detectives Succeed Again!

When It Comes To Our Homes, There Are 2 Kinds of Leaks. The Ones You Fixed . . . and The Ones You Don’t Know About

There is a famous quote that goes something like this: ‘I don’t know why mothers love them. All babies do is leak at both ends.’ (Douglas Feaver). Funny, but true.

When you think about it, our homes are much the same. With all of their imperfections, we still love them. And, it seems that we’re never done caring for or paying for them.

Being in the Leak Detection Business, we see that leaks come in two varieties: the big, obvious ones that you know about (and fixed), and the other kind – the ones that are lurking in your walls or structure.

You can do the math. Guess which leak costs you the most? The latent, ‘hidden’ leaks are. They are difficult to diagnose or find – let alone pinpoint. That is, until now.

Maybe you smell ‘mildew.‘ People used to guess that it was just because the house was ‘closed up’ for awhile. But, now, there is no more need for ‘guesswork.’ Modern technology (taken from the military over 30 years ago) has brought us Infrared Thermal Imaging.

We are a qualified MI Thermal Imaging Survey Company, specializing in Leak Detection services… we find all kinds of things! Slowly dripping – leaks in pipes (hidden inside walls) – are one of the most common things. Anyone who has a child or spouse with Asthma or allergies can tell you that is not a good thing.

Sometimes , when doing Moisture detection, we find that this moisture has incubated and can accelerate into mold. Health issues aside, there are ‘other‘ leaks that you may have – and don’t know about – that we uncover.

Recently, here in Michigan, many homes have used a particular brand of OSB woodgrain textured siding that has been found to leak, deteriorate, absorb water, and seep into the structure behind it – causing structural damage to the framing of the dwelling.

Often, these sort of leaks go undetected until it is too late. Our exterior Infrared Thermal Imaging Inspections of the siding, roof, skylites, and windows turn up evidence of faulty workmanship, missing flashings, and bad building design. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that our Thermal Survey Inspection camera enables us to ‘see’ what the human eye cannot. And, for the same reason that a Doctor relies on X-Rays to ‘look inside’ his patient to learn more, so do we.

What are company is really doing when surveying your home, is taking a sneak ‘peek’ inside without being invasive or destructive. The Infrared Thermal Imager or Video that we use provides us hard-copy evidence of what is going on ‘behind the scenes.‘

And, by catching this 2nd kind of leak EARLY – the kind that you didn’t know about (until now) – it SAVES you money. In our Building Performance Industry lingo , we call this Predictive Maintenance.

We help you look for things (moisture detection, Leaks, Heat Loss, Electrical issues, and structural issues) BEFORE a simple ‘fix‘ becomes a catastrophe. Those cost you needless expense, heartache, disruption of your property – and your life.

Thermal Imaging, when used by our in-house Builder of over 30 years,
gives you a unique perspective that will ensure that your home or structure is a living space that is healthy, safe, energy-efficient, and kind to the environment.

At the beginning, we said that a home is much like that ‘baby’ who ‘leaks’ at both ends – and it seems that we never stop caring for them or spending on them.

The good news, here, is that Infravision LLC – unlike your Doctor - DOES make house calls. We save you unnecessary damage and excessive repair cost by doing an Infrared Thermal Imaging Survey early on your home or business. This will help you to fix the most important leak of all- the one in YOUR WALLET.

Article Author:

Jack Tarry, President
Licensed Builder
Lead Thermographer

www.infravisionllc.com
Residential, Commercial,MI  Municipal Infrared Thermal Imaging Services
jacktarry@infravisionllc.com

TOLL FREE: 888-954-1115
‘WE GET THE PICTURE’

West Tennessee Home Inspector helps eliminate $1ooo’s on Heating / Air Bills using high tech infrared equipment:

Thermal Imaging Inspections of West Tennessee recently did a home inspection in Dyersburg Tennessee, and being a Certified Thermographer found a home with missing insulation and leak damage so bad the wind was going straight thru the wall.

Are all Tennessee homes insulated?

The short history of this home, is a year ago a tornado had lifted a roof from this house and ruined the sheetrock and most of the insulation. So a roofer was hired to replace the roof which in turn hired a sheetrock man to replaced the moist walls. The so-called professional sheetrock installers replaced the sheetrock and pulled out all the wet insulation, but failed to replace with new insulation. Here’s what happened when I arrived on site…

My Thermal Imaging Camera noticed the problem within seconds. My clients were thrilled with this information, and wished they had called me first to diagnose the issues before calling in contractors!

I have also resolved issues relating to tornado leak damage situations with my thermal imaging camera in the following towns; Jackson, Lexington, Milan, Humboldt, Paris, Medina, Henderson, Savannah and Selmer Tenn. in the last few years. A picture is really worth a 1000 words so, so don’t buy a home without looking behind those walls.

Also providing thermal leak detection services for the following counties Madson, Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decautur, Dyer, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson and McNairy.

Giving peace of mind one infrared inspection at a time!

B4 U Close Home Inspection
Mike Manns
731-431-0599
Visit Our Website Here

Local Michigan Builder Uses Infrared Thermal Imaging to Save Clients Money, Energy,  and Get a Tax Credit.

Thermal Imaging Services Michigan - Infrared Leak Detection Companies  Brighton, MI… Servicing Livingston , Washtenaw, and Oakland counties for 30yrs! 

Going Green V’s Saving Green

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, an infrared thermal imaging picture may be worth thousands of dollars. That’s good news – especially in the times that we are living in.

The economy is uncertain, the housing market has tanked, our stock portfolio (what’s left of it) keeps us up at night. We need to be prudent – more than ever – when it comes to spending.

We see all of the media talking about it – and, sure we would love to be able to ‘go Green.’ Helping the environment is good. But, charity starts at home. We need to be kind to our wallets, first – then the planet.

Most of us think the exotic home improvements, when we think about saving energy, and, ultimately some money on our heating and cooling bills. We watch HGTV or the Green Planet TV stations (on cable) and see how we are supposed to go out and invest many thousands of dollars in Solar Panels, Geothermal Exchange HVAC, tankless water heaters, or new replacement windows etc.

Great. But, who has the ‘extra money’ to go out and do that in these times? Especially when the RETURN ON INVESTMENT can be from 7 to 20 years for a PAYBACK? Who says that we even want to be living in this house at that time? Well, the good news is that there are some ‘unsexy’ things that don’t get the media’s attention. But, they are starting to surface, now, in articles like ‘WORTH IT’ (in TreeHugger magazine), and in the newspaper (New York Times) entitled “A Stimulus That Could Save Money.”

The piece in TreeHugger tells us that we don’t have to rob the corner bank to be able to save on our rising energy bills. In fact, it says that ‘the biggest bang for the buck, the low hanging fruit is fixing air leakage (infiltration) duct leakage, and improving insulation.

This isn’t the ‘sexy stuff’ , but it is the important stuff. A responsible solar contractor should tell you NOT to buy solar panels – but, rather, you should FIX YOUR HOUSE FIRST! The ‘unsexy’ repairs above ‘ have a 1 – 12 month payback period.’

YOU CAN’T FIGHT WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE

So, where do you begin? And, how exactly do you ‘see’ heat loss? Infrared Thermal Imaging is the answer. In fact, that same article, ‘WORTH IT,’’ (TreeHugger magazine) says you’re your first step should be to get a trained auditor to help you put the pieces together. “Every house is different and has different priorities. Repairs do not affect just one factor – everything in your house is connected. Infrared thermal imaging can help you ‘tailor the repairs to your house, prevent danger, and make you a more healthy, comfortable and keep money in your pocket each month’. We are doing thermal imaging home inspections here in MI Michigan every week, and some of the basic problems we find that the home owner knew nothing about is a real eye opener.

The US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (Free Press News Archive of January 3, 2009) says that ‘Infrared energy audits have BECOME A NECESSITY for every home and business owner due to the rising energy costs and the uncertainty of our economic times.”

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

The New York Times article (November 18, 2009) recently said that the Obama administration is going to copy the success of the Cash For Clunkers Program because of its undeniable success. But, the economy still needs help. So White House is looking at rolling out a “Cash For Caulkers” program. This time it will be for Weatherization. Thermal imaging cameras are a perfect fit for this program.

The DEPT OF ENERGY says (in an article in a ConsumerReports article / October 17, 2008) that YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 30% on your heat bill by doing weatherization. Namely, stopping drafts and leaks in your home by stuffing all of those nooks and crannies ; doing weather stripping, and using those cans of expanding foam; wrapping hot water pipes; sealing leaky ducts; and other simple projects that –ANYONE CAN DO THEMSELVES.

WHAT NEXT?

Just like the CNET NEW (Green Tech / January 28, 2009) article says, ‘many people would like to lower their household energy bills, but need an expert to recommend what steps to take as part of a long-term plan.

GREEN YOUR HOME LIKE A CYBORG – USE THERMAL IMAGING …was the title of the GreenPlanet article of April 09, 2009. It says ‘Do you want to a) save money on your heating bills, b) make your home greener, and c) enact a childhood fantasy where you have future-vision like the Terminator? Of course you do.

‘Thermal imaging is a hi-tech method you can use to detect where you’re losing most of the heat in your home. And, since 35% of heat loss comes from unwanted air leakage, using thermal imaging will help you pinpoint exactly where that’s occurring.’ Infrared thermal leak detection in Michigan is also becoming a very popular service amongst home owners also!

ON THE HOMEFRONT

Locally, here in Michigan, we are getting lots of interest in heat loss inspections. Money is tight enough. People are looking to save energy, but at what cost? You talk to an Insulation Contractor, and he recommends you blow in additional insulation. Talk to the Window Guy, and he suggests you buy a house full of new windows. Good things, yes, . . . but are they specific to your needs?

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Think about it in this light. If you are really ill, what do you do? You go to the Doctor. You don’t tell him to schedule for surgery on Monday, because of something that your next door neighbor had. And, you don’t want to rely on guesswork or a ‘hunch’ on his part. No, you go in to have him run tests. He takes an X-Ray or an MRI because it helps him “see” what he is missing.

Infrared Thermal Imaging is a lot like that. We look deep inside to ‘see’ what is invisible to the eye. It enables us to give you meaningful answers that pinpoint problems and rule out others. It empowers you to take corrective action – and avoid excessive cost, heart-ache, and disruption of your life associated with ‘trying’ unfounded ‘hunches’ & educated guesses by contractors.

Just like the Doctor, we build our practice on our understanding of (Building) Science, experience (over 30 years as a builder and a ‘Green’ background in renewable energy such as Geothermal Exchange Heating / Cooling and Solar), as well as our cutting-edge technology.
This enables us to help you whether your are looking to “GO GREEN’ (help the environment); SAVE SOME GREEN (slash energy your costs) ; or GET PAID TO GO GREEN (get your Tax Credit for weatherizing your home under the Stimulus Plan).

Whatever your shade of ‘Green’, we help you ensure that you have an environment that saves you money every month, is energy-efficient, comfortable, safe, and a healthy living space for everyone in your household.

If you are looking for thermal imaging companies in Michigan, we are one of the most experienced you will find… that’s all we do! Call for a free ‘over the phone’ quote today!
InfraVision LLC
www.infravisionllc.com
3495 Oak Knoll Dr
Brighton, MI 48114
jacktarry@mac.com
Direct: 810.623.3170
Toll Free : 888.954.1115

‘We Get The Picture’

Michigan infrared energy and heat loss detection services

Thermal imaging home inspection services, Brighton MI… servicing all residential and commercial applications… Michigan wide!

Leaks can be frustrating to find… so one of the most common questions people ask us is “Is there a simple and easy way to find and detect a leak without pulling down the walls?”.

There’s only a couple of ways to track down where a leak is entering into a building, and that’s usually via the ‘hose flood test’, or using thermal imaging and moisture testing equipment. If the thermographer you hire has sufficient experience (and it’s recently rained), then they should be able to source the leak pretty quickly.

Here’s a photo example of what our infrared camera recently captured on the home office ceiling of a very successful entrepreneur…

This infrared image reveals a few things worth pointing out…

1) See  the large round shape? That’s a leak. The butanol waterproofing join on the deck above had insufficient overlap width and had perished… letting in water directly above this area.

2) See the dark patches around the edge of the ceiling? That’s where the insulation hasn’t been pushed right into the corners of the ceiling correctly… leading to low levels  of heat loss… but it all adds up!3) The dark area around the light is where the insulation has  been kept away from the lighting connections. This is correct installation to help prevent potential fires.

If your looking for simple, easy and quick ways to detect signs of problems within your building envelope, then infrared thermal imaging is the way to go… and no holes are put in your walls!

One of the most common questions people ask when doing research about which thermal imaging camera to buy, is “What is thermal imaging used for, and which application will suit me”

If you aren’t sure what application to use it for, here’s a tip… use it for whatever is going to make you the most money. That comment may sound  direct and even ‘greedy’… but it’s not. If you are serious about buying an infrared camera to start a business, why not use it for the most profitable application! Your not running a charity are you?

Of course there are exceptions… if you’ve been in the business of plumbing before buying your thermal imaging infrared camera, then you are most likely to naturally think of using it to find leaks… makes sense! If you have a background in insulating houses for a living, then you would probably use the best type of infrared thermal camera for heat loss and energy audits etc etc.

Are you a vet? Yes… you can certainly buy yourself a camera for equine thermography on horses, and as a possible diagnostic tool on other animals also. The beauty of thermal imaging is that it’s all about heat, and the good news is that everything around us emits heat that you can detect using infrared.

How clever are you?

Most applications for the use of a thermal imaging camera have been ‘found out’… but there will be many more that haven’t been. If you can find yourself a niche way of using the IR camera… then here’s a tip… keep it to yourself and make lots of money with it

Infrared imaging is a short cut to find out problems… and a classic example of that is electrical thermography applications. Finding a hot spot on a switchboard is quick and easy… but for the company who is running a business and is relying on that switchboard, a shut down could cost them serious cash… even if it’s for only an hour or two.

As you can see by the majority of photos on this website, we mainly use the camera for infrared leak detection above ground in houses.

The first step you should take though, is working out how to get customers and what are the best marketing techniques to get you in the door. There are ideas outlined for you in a manual that can be found on this website.

Can you use FLIR thermal imaging cameras for leak detection in homes?

Here’s a question a reader of this website just emailed me…

“What type of thermal imaging camera should I buy that will allow me to find leaks… is a  FLIR infrared camera OK?”

Yes, of course they are ok… but any decent brand of thermal imaging camera will be able to see obvious ’signs’ of wet patchs on drywall… even if it’s got .2o thermal sensitivity!

If you are new to this industry, please remember you are not actually seeing a wet patch… or a leak (That’s why I say ’signs’ of a leak). You are seeing a difference in surface temperature, so you will need moisture confirmation testing equipment to make a more informed decision (Sometimes a hammer will work ). You will detect all kinds of anomalies on the surface of walls through the thermal imaging camera, and the key to success in the ‘Thermography’ business,  is knowing what you are really ’seeing’…. no matter if it’s a FLIR Infrared camera or not. There are several companies who make infrared cameras that are well within spec for this type of application.

Is that a leak, or has a rat urinated above the ceiling and it’s soaked through? Yes, your IR camera will pick up all kinds of different possibilities… and that’s why this can be an exciting business to be involved in once you know how to get home inspections customers.

Here’s an example of the types of leaks you can track down using infrared…

Leaking Faucet Damage - Window Joinery Failure Leaks - Leaks on the Back of Showers - Leaks behind Drywall – Leaky Decks - Leaks in Water Plumbing Pipe Joins  -  Cladding Leakage – Leaky Roofs  -  Signs of Underground Water Pipes Leaking - Detect Moisture Behind Walls - and MANY more!

If you are a builder, plumber, handyman, electrician or anyone simply looking for a new business opportunity that can have a fast pay back in the right hands, then thermal imaging could be for you.