When Connie Lusk and her husband were preparing to move, their real estate agent suggested a home inspection to see if there were any problems with the structure. What the inspector found was moisture throughout the home and an estimated repair cost of $20,000.

"He told me the moisture was so bad my deck was going to fall off the house," Lusk said. "I started to cry - I couldn't believe we'd have to pay $20,000 just to leave."

The Lusks were a little taken aback, after all, the $872,000 home looked fine from the outside.The couple discussed their options with their real estate agent and decided to get a second opinion. When Jerry Tschikof of HomeSafe Inspection inspected the house, he found very little moisture and estimated repair costs at $5,000. The Lusks were obviously relieved. So what gives? Why would two different inspectors get such diverse numbers?

The answer lay in the technology the inspectors use. The first person to inspect the Lusk home used a moisture meter on the exterior stucco to test for moisture damage. The only problem was a recent snowstorm had left lots of surface moisture that made the meter go crazy. HomeSafe Inspection uses a infrared camera in conjunction with moisture meters to get the most accurate readings available. "We use thermal imaging to detect temperature differences," Tschikof said.

"Different materials have different heat absorption rates." The infrared camera takes pictures similar to an X-ray. On those images, heat appears light and cool appears dark. So when Tschikof and his crew see excessive light or dark spots on an image, they investigate further. If moisture is suspected, the moisture meter confirms it. "Moisture is a problem because it can lead to mold," Tschikof said. "Mold has to have moisture to grow and mold can lead to health problems and expensive repairs."

Using the moisture meter together with the infrared camera allows a more accurate inspection. But moisture isn't the only problem the infrared camera can shed light on, so to speak. The cameras can see everything including internal structural problems, heat loss, rodent and insect problems, missing insulation, pipe and duct work leaks and potential electrical problems.

Tschikof knows how important it is to detect problems early. After getting the equipment, Tschikof decided to scan his own home for practice. His laundry room ceiling yielded some interesting results. "I was scanning the ceiling and it was really dark," he said. "So I went upstairs and began inspecting the floor. That's when I found out my shower was leaking and all the water was accumulating in the ceiling and insulation." If Tschikof hadn't seen the problem before it got worse, he would have had to replace the entire bathroom floor. Instead, he had to replace a small piece of floor board and a few tiles. As for the Lusks, their home was repaired in a matter of days and the house is now under contract. For more information about HomeSafe Inspection, visit www.homsafeinspectionco.com.