Infrared image of new construction tile floor on slab shows some grout lines that appear wetter than the surrounding grout lines. Should this be a concern? The grout has had time to cure, so I expected all grout lines to appear the same. Could there be an underlying issue?
Is there a moisture content difference or is it a reflectivity or emissivity issue in the use of your camera?
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In all seriousness, a post like yours without the photo, is worthless.
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Morning, Jeffrey.
Thermal imager model.
You use High E tape? Set Emissivity to match the tape? Usually 0.95. Adjust focus, level and span? Consider ambient temperature?
Thermogram Image please.
You tap on tiles? Moisture measurements?
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Tiles seemed solid. No high E tape. Just going by the apparent temperature differential between the grout in the area of concern and the grout in the surrounding areas.
it’s a pretty dull surface. Don’t think it’s got anything to do with emissivity.
Inconclusive.
There are advanced thermographers here with way more education and experience than myself. Up to Level III.
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Robert, we all know how advanced and superior you are to all of us. All the op is asking, is very simple as you can see in the pic. Some grout is different then other grout. No need to go on , like what model just for you to be able to say, well my model is faster and stronger than your model.
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What’s beneath the tile in that area? Did you go into the crawlspace / basement to investigate?
My first thought is the tilework was laid upon a metallic frame for a plumbing fixture or HVAC ductwork, or perhaps a sealed crawl hatch. Lots of questions and guesses that only you can possibly answer.
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Since it’s a new build, did someone do touch-ups recently?
Did someone clean the floor, repair the grout or tile, spill some liquid yesterday, etc, etc.
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- you need to post the scan, not a pic of the camera.
- Is there an apparent source of moisture that you can work with? Where would it come from?
- A RGB would help as we are not there, you are.
- Was the grout sealed after construction?
For the camera to show anything on the screen, there has to be a differential of something. Let’s start with material. Is the grout and tile different? How are they different?
Why do we seal grout? Because it absorbs moisture. Does tile absorb moisture at the same rate (a delta)? Does tile moisture damage the flooring.
Can you see it visually?
Why is the pantry door cold?
Why is the dishwasher hot?
Potential sources.
Answer this and I will answer your question.
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What is the specific emissivity of the grout used and the tile installed? Was a grout sealer used around the single tile? How far from the area were you? What was the angle of the camera?
Too many questions…….
Your camera settings could be incorrect for what you are looking at. 6.2 meters is just over 20 feet. It doesn’t appear that you are that far away from the tile in question. Grout composition and/or use of a sealer can alter the emissivity of the product as well. 9.7 seems a bit high….
Point is, again, too many questions, not enough information to answer those questions. As @ddagostino asked, was that grout altered or replaced within a day or three of your inspection? How do you know that something wasn’t spilled on that tile and wiped up before you got there?
I see a single tile where the grout appears to be a whopping 3 degrees cooler than anything else in the image. Based on your camera settings, a single image, and no data from a moisture meter, it’s a nothing burger. ….
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House is on a slab
Honestly I wasn’t looking to do a deep dive into the science behind what I’m looking at. What I wanted to know is if it’s worth recommending a deeper dive. That’s all. You ask some good questions regarding sealing/spills, etc. I’m going back to look again and to see if it’s still there. I’d be more inclined to believe it could be a spill, but there’s a larger area in the dining room with similar temperature anomalies.
This is not a qualitative thermal analysis. None of those camera settings are going to be required as to why.
That whopping 3 degrees happens to be the average temperature differential from evaporative cool in thermal building analysis.
A quantitive analysis (patterns of the exception), and that 3 degree psychrometric calculation will justify calling it moisture. Moisture assessment is the primary method to determine moisture or not.
Then why do you use a thermal camera?
A thermal camera can not detect water or moisture. You do, based on your deep dive.
Be aware that moisture in a concrete slab can stay there for months.
The moisture will not go towards the ground because there is high moisture in the ground all the time. So it has to come into the house, through those little grout lines with reference to the 1sf tiles.
If you want to check it now, bring a convection space heater. Aim it at the spot you suspect moisture.
Watch the area with the IR camera with a box spot meter. If it is moisture, it will get cooler and the dry areas get warmer. In a few minutes, both areas will increase in temperature in a linear graph.
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With all due respect, Timpani. I saw no image. I had been back here several times. No images.
Read, if you can, Lon Henderson string. "In all seriousness, a post like yours without the photo, is worthless."
You should learn to leave your conduct transgressions behind and act professional.
I plainly admitted There are advanced thermographers here with way more education and experience than myself. Up to Level III.
Another unneeded negative post to see if it sticks on the wall.
.
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As you can tell, there are a bunch of thermographers on this forum that DO get into the nuances of the science. And, what reliably sets them off is someone posting a thermal image with some red and blue splotches on it and asking the forum “what is it?” or “is this important?” What you (and other posters) need to take from this is whenever you see something suspicious or odd on a thermal image, that is the starting point of the investigation, not the end. Is this a reflection of some other heat source? Change your camera angle to find out… Is the splotch actually warmer or colder than the surrounding area as measured using with my trusty thermometer? Is the area actually wetter than the surrounding area as measured with my trusty moisture meter? Might this be a difference in the material / properties? If you do all that and are still stumped, then present your analysis here and you will likely get a much better response.
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It wasn’t meant to be David. It was simply an observation. All I was getting at was that there wasn’t enough information or data in the OP to form a definitive conclusion as to what was going on in that kitchen. More information is needed…..
A situation like this with a specific tile in the middle of a warm kitchen is interesting and not typical. This would get my curiosity going for sure, and it would make me question if I had my camera set up correctly. You have mentioned in other posts how a camera’s default or auto settings could show false temps or incorrect information depending on the specific item/material being scanned. This is why I brought it up.
if there were other areas like what you posted, do some more investigating for sure and let us know what you find.
It is an anomaly. Blue lines in a sea of red. That is all we have. There are too many possibilities to count. Replaced tile. Mop water. Reflective heat. Slab moisture. Leaking dishwasher. Sealant. etc., etc.
You can report on the anomaly, but to what end? Keep scanning the house, you will find a half-dozen more without explanation.
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