The One Hundred Dollar Nail
Sponsored by:
The One Hundred Dollar Nail
Tip and images provided by Stuart L. Raney Infraspection Institute Level III Certified Infrared Thermographer
“How much is that infrared inspection worth anyway?”
I don’t remember for sure if it was my dad or maybe my uncle who first pointed out a $100 nail. I can say it was some time ago because that $100 nail would be worth several hundred now. I also don’t remember where I was the first time I found a $100 nail or how many more I have found thru the years. Every now and then you might find one worth thousands and one could argue that some of them may be priceless.
We were likely somewhere on the farm, probably near one of the barns when they asked me would I mind picking up that 100 dollar bill by my left foot. I looked down and didn’t see any sign of a 100 dollar bill, but there lay this old rusty nail so I reached down, picked it up and at the same time asked where the money was.
Then it was explained to me that had the old rusty nail not been picked up, it very well could have ended up in a tractor tire, might ruin the tire which could cost $100 or more to replace. Since a penny saved is a penny earned, the nail in hand was easily worth a hundred dollars. Today that $100 nail would be worth several hundred. A nail found that prevents a blowout out on the highway could be worth thousands and a nail found, for instance, in a school bus yard could be priceless.
Infrared inspections of low slope insulated roof systems, and many other applications, are a lot like looking for $100 nails. You have to gauge your success and the worth of the inspection by what you have prevented and not so much by what you have found. A roof inspection that finds five small wet areas on a 2 year old 100,000 square foot roof may have saved replacing that roof several years before it was planned making that $5,000 inspection worth several hundred thousand dollars.
Infrared inspections provide value by preventing unplanned repairs and replacements. The best value and the most savings is realized when the inspection finds the minor problems that are easy and inexpensive to repair.
Just like picking up old rusty nails.
Stuart Raney is President of Infrared Building Diagnostics, LC, an infrared consulting firm headquartered in Winchester, KY
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