Inspections & Leak Detection
Professional roofing inspection and leak detection services using thermal imaging and advanced equipment to identify issues before they cause damage.
Overview
Water ingress through a commercial roof can cause damage far beyond the roof itself -- ceiling damage, mould growth, electrical hazards, equipment damage, and business disruption. The challenge is that leaks often travel significant distances between the point of entry and the point where water appears inside the building, making it difficult to identify the source from internal observation alone.
Allied Commercial's leak detection service uses a combination of visual inspection, thermal imaging (infrared cameras), electronic leak detection, and controlled water testing to pinpoint the exact source of water ingress. Thermal imaging is particularly effective for flat and low-pitch roofs where moisture trapped beneath membranes or insulation creates a temperature differential visible to infrared cameras -- even when no water is visible to the naked eye.
Our comprehensive roof inspections go beyond leak detection to assess the overall condition of the roof system -- sheeting, flashings, gutters, downpipes, penetrations, membrane condition, and fall protection systems. The inspection report provides a condition rating for each component, estimates remaining service life, and recommends a maintenance or replacement programme phased across capital planning periods.
For buildings with chronic leak issues that have resisted previous repair attempts, we deploy systematic water testing -- flooding specific areas of the roof in a controlled sequence to isolate the entry point. This method is time-consuming but definitive, and we have a 100% success rate in identifying leak sources using this approach.
Key Benefits
- Non-invasive thermal imaging technology -- no cutting or destructive testing
- Detect hidden moisture before it causes visible damage
- Pinpoint exact leak sources that have resisted previous repair attempts
- Comprehensive condition reporting extends roof life through planned maintenance
- Budget estimates enable informed capital planning decisions
- Systematic methodology with 100% success rate in leak source identification
Product & Service Scope
What we deliver
Infrared thermal imaging for moisture detection
Electronic leak detection for membrane roofs
Controlled flood testing for chronic leak isolation
Comprehensive roof condition assessment
Component-level condition rating and remaining life estimate
Detailed photographic reporting with annotated images
Prioritised repair recommendations with budget estimates
Gutter, downpipe, and stormwater assessment
Material & Installation Standards
Australian Standards compliance
Inspections assess compliance with this standard for fastener condition, flashing adequacy, minimum pitch, and weatherproofing performance of metal roof systems.
Membrane roof inspections reference this standard for membrane condition assessment, overlap adequacy, upstand heights, and penetration treatment.
Gutter sizing, downpipe capacity, and overflow provisions are assessed against this standard as part of a comprehensive roof inspection.
Material Specifications
At a glance
Installation Methodology
How we deliver
Visual Inspection
A systematic walk-through of the entire roof surface, documenting visible defects -- lifted flashings, corroded fasteners, ponding water, membrane blistering, blocked gutters, and deteriorated sealants.
Thermal Imaging
Infrared cameras survey the roof surface to identify moisture trapped beneath membranes, insulation, or within the roof structure. Wet areas appear as distinct thermal anomalies against dry surroundings.
Targeted Testing
Where leak sources are unclear, controlled flood testing or electronic leak detection is used to isolate the exact entry point. Each test zone is documented and cross-referenced with internal leak locations.
Reporting
A detailed report with annotated thermal images, defect photography, condition ratings, remaining life estimates, and prioritised repair recommendations is delivered within 5 business days.
FAQ
Common questions
How does thermal imaging find roof leaks?
Water trapped beneath a roof membrane or within insulation retains heat differently to dry material. During the evening cool-down period (or after the roof surface has been warmed by the sun), wet areas release stored heat more slowly than dry areas, creating a temperature differential visible to infrared cameras. Our FLIR T-series cameras detect temperature differences as small as 0.03 degrees Celsius, allowing us to map moisture distribution across the entire roof surface without any invasive cutting or destructive testing. The thermal survey is then cross-referenced with the building's leak history to confirm the correlation between moisture location and internal water appearance.
What is the difference between a roof inspection and a leak investigation?
A roof inspection is a comprehensive condition assessment of the entire roof system -- it looks at everything (sheeting, flashings, gutters, downpipes, penetrations, fall protection) and produces a condition report with maintenance recommendations. A leak investigation is a targeted exercise focused on finding the source of a specific water ingress problem. We often recommend starting with a full inspection because it frequently reveals multiple issues beyond the reported leak, and addressing them all at once is more cost-effective than reactive individual repairs.
Why does my commercial roof leak only in heavy rain?
Intermittent leaks usually trace to capacity or wind-driven failure modes rather than a hole: box gutters that overtop in high-intensity rainfall, blocked sumps and downpipes, laps that admit water only under wind pressure, or flashing terminations that rely on sealant past its service life. These sources rarely sit directly above the visible water stain. Water testing and thermal imaging isolate the true entry point so the repair is made once, in the right place.
Can you find leaks without removing the roof sheeting?
Yes. Our standard method is non-invasive: thermal imaging maps trapped moisture, controlled water testing reproduces the leak zone by zone, and borescope cameras inspect concealed gutters and cavities through existing openings. Sheeting is only lifted when the source is confirmed and rectification is being performed, which keeps the investigation cost low and avoids creating new penetrations in a roof that already has a water problem.
Industries
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