Inspection equipment · Portugal
The equipment we use, and what it can actually tell you
Instruments find things a walk-round cannot. None of them diagnoses anything on its own — the value is in reading what they show against the building in front of you.
The point of it
Equipment narrows the question; it does not answer it
A thermal camera does not find damp. It finds temperature differences, some of which are caused by moisture and many of which are not. A moisture meter does not find a leak. It gives a reading in a material, and the reading means different things in stone, in plaster and in timber.
This matters because instruments photograph well and are easy to oversell. A report full of thermal images proves very little by itself. What makes them worth anything is knowing which anomalies matter, what else could explain them, and what the conditions on the day were doing to the readings.
So the equipment below is not a specification of what happens on every visit. Which of it is useful depends entirely on the property and the question you are asking, and that is agreed when we quote.
What we use
The instruments, and what each is good for
Each answers a narrow question well and a broad question badly. They are used together, and against what the building is physically doing.
Thermal imaging
Shows surface temperature patterns — cold bridging, missing insulation, and the cooling signature of evaporating moisture. It does not see through walls and it does not measure moisture. A thermal image alone is not a diagnosis.
Moisture meters
Compare affected areas against reference areas in the same material. Readings depend on what the material is, so they are interpreted rather than read off. Probing beyond a non-invasive scope is agreed separately.
Temperature and humidity
Air temperature, relative humidity and the resulting dew point, which together indicate condensation risk on a given surface under the conditions present at the time of the visit.
Drone
Reaches roof areas that cannot be seen from the ground or safely walked on. Subject to weather, site conditions and the necessary permissions, so feasibility is assessed when we quote rather than assumed.
Electrical test equipment
Measures rather than infers. What can usefully be tested depends on the installation, its alteration history and whether isolation is permitted on the day.
Endoscope
Looks inside voids, cavities and ducts through existing openings. Useful where a question can be answered without opening up, and honest about how small a view it gives.
Smoke testing
Releases visible smoke to show how air actually moves — whether an extractor is drawing air out, whether a ventilation opening is doing anything, and where air is leaking in or out. A fan that runs is not the same as a fan that extracts, and smoke is the quickest way to tell the difference.
Gas detection
Locates escaping gas at accessible joints, fittings and appliances, which matters on the bottled and piped LPG installations common here. It is an indication that something needs attention, not a certificate: work on a gas installation belongs to a registered installer.
Also
Measurement and documentation
Laser measures, levels and straight edges do the unglamorous work: establishing whether a floor has dropped, whether a wall is out of plumb, how wide a crack actually is and whether the distortion is consistent across an elevation.
It matters more than it sounds. A great deal of structural assessment comes down to whether something has moved, by how much, and in which direction — and that requires measuring rather than eyeing.
Where a measurement is taken, it is recorded with the finding, so the report carries the figures rather than a conclusion you have to take on trust.
Be clear about this
What equipment cannot do
No instrument used from the surface can confirm what is inside a wall, under a floor or beneath a membrane. They indicate. Where an indication matters and cannot be resolved without opening up, testing or monitoring over time, the report says so rather than presenting a probability as a finding.
Some questions need a laboratory, not a site visit. Water from a private supply used for drinking should be tested by an accredited laboratory. Identifying a mould species is a laboratory matter. Where that is the honest answer, we say it.
And some need monitoring rather than a visit — anything that varies with weather, occupancy or season cannot be characterised from one morning’s readings.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is all of this used on every inspection?
No. Which instruments are useful depends on the property, what is accessible and what you are trying to find out. The scope is agreed when we quote.
Does thermal imaging see through walls?
No, and that is the most common misunderstanding about it. It reads surface temperature. What is behind the surface is inferred from the pattern, alongside other evidence — which is why a thermal image on its own settles nothing.
Will the report include the images and readings?
Yes, where they are relevant to a finding, together with the conditions at the time. You get the evidence, not just the conclusion drawn from it.
Can you test for something not listed here?
Ask. Some things we can arrange, some need a specialist or a laboratory, and some cannot sensibly be done at all. We will tell you which of the three applies rather than take the booking.
Tell us what you need to find out
Describe the property and the question you need answered. We will tell you what is worth doing and provide a quotation.