What happens on a leak call
From the first call to the 24/7 leak line through dispatch, finding the source, your approval, the repair and the photo closeout.
See it step by step: What happens on a leak call →Water hides. We look anyway.
How an infrared or EFVM roof moisture survey works
Water that gets into a roof often stays out of sight: in the insulation, along the deck or behind a breach too small to see. A moisture survey finds it. Here's how ARMS runs an infrared (IR) or electric field vector mapping (EFVM) survey, from the first question to the finished report.
At a glance
- Company-owned infrared and EFVM equipment.
- IR maps wet insulation; EFVM pinpoints membrane breaches.
- Each survey is scheduled around the conditions its method needs.
- Findings are marked on a roof plan with photos.
- Results drive repair scopes, budgets and restore-or-replace decisions.
This is how the work runs under our Moisture Surveys & Diagnostics (IR / EFVM) service. Want it on a schedule? Compare maintenance programs.
Ready when you are
Start with a baseline inspection. It's free with a maintenance program, and it becomes the first page of your roof record.
Request Free Baseline InspectionStep by step
How an IR or EFVM moisture survey works, step by step
Start with the question
Is there an active leak nobody can find? Are you deciding whether a roof can be restored? Setting a capital budget? Buying or leasing a building? The question decides which method fits and how much of the roof to survey.
Review the roof
We look at the roof system, its size, what's under the membrane and any leak history or earlier reports, then recommend infrared, EFVM or both.
Plan around the conditions
Infrared works because wet insulation holds heat longer than dry insulation, so infrared scans are conducted in the evening after a day with full sun, on a dry roof. For EFVM, the surface is wetted for the test. Each survey is scheduled around the conditions it needs.
Safe access
Crews work under the ARMS written safety program, built to OSHA 1926 Subpart M (fall protection): roof-edge fall protection plans, ladder and access procedures, skylight protection, hot work permits for torch-applied repairs, heat illness prevention and weather stop-work criteria.
Run the survey
For infrared, a technician scans the roof with a thermal camera and looks for warmer areas with the shape wet insulation typically leaves. For EFVM, a low-voltage field is set up across the wetted surface; where the membrane is breached, current flows through to the deck, and the technician follows the field to the exact spot.
Mark and map
Suspect wet areas and breach locations are marked and photographed, then drawn onto the roof plan so they can be found again for repairs or a follow-up survey.
The survey report
You get a written moisture survey summary in the standard ARMS report format, with a roof plan, dated and geotagged photos, findings, work performed, a condition rating for each section and recommendations.
Put it to work
Results scope repairs to the areas that are actually wet, show whether a roof is a candidate for restoration and feed directly into condition assessments and capital budgets.
Who performs the survey
Diagnostic work is performed by a trained ARMS technician under the oversight of our founder, Bob Stanley, a Level II Thermographer. Meet the founder.
The infrared and EFVM equipment is company-owned, so the diagnostics on your roof aren't subcontracted to someone else.
Three ways to get a survey
- Standalone: quoted based on roof area. Request a quote.
- Fully ARMed: an annual IR or EFVM survey is included. Compare programs.
- Repair scoping: when a leak's source isn't obvious, we use the same equipment to trace it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I use infrared or EFVM?
Infrared is best for mapping wet insulation across large areas. EFVM pinpoints breaches in the membrane itself. We own both and recommend whichever fits your roof and the question you need answered, or both when that's what it takes.
Does a survey damage the roof?
No. Both methods are non-destructive. Infrared is a camera, and EFVM uses water and a low-voltage field on the roof surface.
Can a survey be done any day?
Not always. Infrared scans are conducted in the evening after a day with full sun, on a dry roof, so they depend on the weather. EFVM needs the roof surface wetted for the test. We schedule each survey around the conditions it needs.
Does EFVM work on black EPDM?
Yes. EFVM mapping is effective on black EPDM. We review the roof system before every survey and recommend infrared, EFVM or both.
What do I get at the end?
A written moisture survey summary in the standard ARMS report format, with suspect wet areas or breach locations marked on a roof plan, photos, findings and recommendations.
How can I buy a survey?
As a standalone service quoted by roof area, as part of the Fully ARMed tier (which includes an annual IR or EFVM survey), or as part of how we scope a repair.
More on how ARMS works
What a maintenance visit includes
What the crew checks, clears and repairs on a scheduled preventive maintenance visit, how often visits happen on each tier and what's in the report.
See it step by step: What a maintenance visit includes →What's in an ARMS report
The roof plan, photos, findings, ratings and recommendations every visit produces.
See a report breakdown →Where we provide this
ARMS is based in Martin, Georgia, and serves northeast Georgia, upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina.
Regions
Northeast Georgia county pages
Let's get a baseline on your roof.
Your baseline inspection and condition report are free with an ARMS maintenance program.