Even the concealed is revealed with our new articulated cameras!

Dryfix have recently just invested in some new specialist surveying equipment.  During our surveys we are often required to look into inaccessible spaces such as; floor voids, ceiling spaces or wall cavities. Faced with the difficulties of a non disruptive inspection on pre-purchase surveys which prevent our surveyors lifting floors, taking down ceilings and opening up walls to look for potential or suspected issues we had to find a solution.

Obviously where we are restricted from inspecting potential or suspected areas this can create an element of doubt  for the buyer as what problems maybe concealed, unless permission to undertake a disruptive investigation and open up the concealed void is granted anxiety can linger.

Dryfix surveyors carry a range of specialist diagnostic and inspection equipment to aid our inspections allowing even the concealed to be revealed in the majority of scenarios. Our surveyors use a range of borroscope cameras including optical and fibre optic which are used to look into concealed voids or cavities. One of the difficulties with most cameras is they are often limited to looking within the area where the camera is positioned  allowing inspection to the near surroundings only, manipulating the camera to view specific area can also be difficult , which is why we searched for a solution.

The solution was an articulated borroscope camera, one which could be operated to view in any direction by the user and has an almost unlimited reach allowing the camera to be run through drains, under floors or deep within wall cavities.

Another concern was the cameras dimensions, the cameras head needs to be small enough to be installed through the smallest of openings to ensure minimum disturbance in drilling an installation hole if necessary. Alternatively utilising existing holes within air bricks, pipe or electrical routes should be possible. The areas we are often inspecting have no light so it is essential the camera has it’s own lighting system to illuminate the area of inspection. The system also needs to be portable and battery operated so it can be used in unoccupied properties where there is no mains power.

Most cameras are viewed either optically through a lens or the image is displayed on a screen. Having the ability to record pictures or motion footage of the inspection is also required to allow our findings to be edited into our survey reports, this allows our clients to see what we have seen.

After lots of market research we managed to find a camera that met our requirements and following a trail period the camera and its extremely sophisticated features have proven invaluable.

A demonstration of the camera can be seen here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldwSAGwD7d8

Our new camera has an articulated head which allows the viewing angle of the camera to be manipulated by the user to look wherever required. The camera is portable running of both mains power and a battery pack so it can be used where services are restricted. A series of bright controllable LED lights are also provided used to illuminate the area of inspection.

The system incorporates a remote screen which can be wireless for ease of use and allows still images and video footage to be recorded of the inspections, which can then be edited into our reports.

The camera has a range of up to 30 meters making it useful for sub-floor, ceiling void and drain inspections particularly useful where there is only one point of entry.  The head of the camera is also only 6mm in diameter ensuring installation holes are very small.

All of our inspection and diagnostic equipment is carried by our surveyors for use during their surveys at all times, our investment in our equipment shows our commitment to improving the quality of our surveys providing you ‘the client’ with the most accurate report possible.

For more information on our inspection and diagnostic equipment or techniques please do not hesitate to contact us; Dryfix Preservation Ltd “Yorkshires Leading damp and Timber Specialists”

or for further information visit our website http://www.dryfix.net/