Commercial buildings rarely fail overnight. They fail quietly—through slow leaks, trapped moisture, and wet insulation that no one can see until you’re dealing with stained ceilings, mold, or a full-blown roof failure. By the time water damage becomes obvious, the repair cost—and operational disruption—can be significant.
That’s where FLIR infrared thermography drones change the game.
As imaging specialists, we see more and more facility managers, property owners, and marketing teams using thermal drone inspections not just as a maintenance tool, but as part of a broader visual documentation strategy for their properties. It’s faster, safer, and dramatically more informative than traditional “walk the roof with a flashlight” inspections.
Why Moisture Is So Hard to Find on Commercial Properties
On a typical commercial site—especially those with flat or low-slope roofs—you’re dealing with multiple layers:
- Roof membrane and coatings
- Insulation layers
- Decking, structural elements, and penetrations
- HVAC units, drains, parapets, and flashing
- Exterior walls, window systems, and building envelope transitions
Water rarely drips straight down from where it entered. It migrates along seams, fasteners, and structural members, often pooling or saturating insulation several feet—or several rooms—away from the original entry point. Add to that:
- Nighttime cooling that hides visual cues
- Drying cycles that mask stains
- Multiple trades (roofers, HVAC, electricians, plumbers) making penetrations over time
The result: even an experienced facility team may miss developing problems until there’s visible damage.
How FLIR Infrared Drone Thermography Works
FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) cameras detect very subtle differences in surface temperature. When mounted on a high-resolution drone platform, they allow us to scan large commercial structures quickly, safely, and with a consistent, repeatable flight pattern.
Here’s what’s happening technically:
- Moisture changes thermal behavior. Wet insulation and building materials retain heat differently than dry materials. After solar loading during the day, they cool at a different rate.
- Thermal cameras see those differences. The FLIR sensor doesn’t “see water directly”—it visualizes the temperature pattern caused by moisture and trapped water.
- Experienced interpretation matters. Thermal patterns can be influenced by structure, materials, and HVAC airflow. You need trained operators and experienced imaging professionals to distinguish actual moisture anomalies from false positives.
As commercial video and imaging producers, we combine this thermographic data with high-resolution visible-light photography and video so decision makers can understand both the science and the story of what’s happening on their property.
Key Applications for FLIR Drone Moisture Detection
1. Flat and Low-Slope Commercial Roofs
This is the most common—and high-value—use case.
FLIR-equipped drones can:
- Scan large roof areas rapidly, even on multi-building campuses
- Identify saturated insulation beneath membranes and coatings
- Highlight problematic seams, flashing, and penetrations
- Support warranty claims, insurance documentation, and repair prioritization
Instead of guessing where to core, cut, or patch, your roofing and facilities teams can use precise, thermographically indicated locations as a starting point. That means less disruption, fewer unnecessary cuts, and a clearer path to targeted repairs.
2. Moisture in Walls, Facades, and Building Envelopes
Exterior walls and cladding systems often conceal moisture behind:
- EIFS or stucco systems
- Panelized metal or composite façades
- Masonry veneer
- Window and door assemblies
From the air, FLIR drone thermography can reveal:
- Areas where trapped moisture is accumulating behind exterior surfaces
- Thermal bridging issues and insulation failures
- Possible air leakage paths impacting HVAC efficiency
These insights help building owners and engineers address envelope problems before they become structural issues or indoor air quality problems.
3. Parking Decks, Plazas, and Elevated Slabs
Concrete structures can trap water above occupied spaces, mechanical rooms, or retail areas. FLIR surveys can:
- Highlight saturated areas in plaza decks and roof parking structures
- Indicate potential waterproofing membrane failures
- Help prioritize testing, repairs, and re-coating schedules
Combined with visual imaging, this provides a clearer picture for structural engineers, property managers, and risk managers.
4. Mechanical, Plumbing, and HVAC-Related Moisture
Thermal drone imaging can also support diagnostics around:
- Roof-mounted HVAC units and condensation management
- Mechanical chases and plenums where moisture is suspected
- Areas around drain lines, scuppers, and overflow systems
Used in conjunction with interior inspection, localized handheld thermography, and video documentation, this creates a comprehensive moisture assessment for complex sites.
Why Drones Are Safer and More Efficient for Leak Detection
Traditional methods—ladders, manlifts, and walking roofs—can be:
- Time-consuming
- Dangerous, especially on aging or saturated structures
- Limited in perspective (you see only what’s beneath your feet)
With a FLIR-capable drone:
- No one has to step onto a compromised roof until you know what you’re walking into.
- Complex or multi-level structures are easier to cover in a single session.
- Operational disruption is minimized—flights can be planned for off-peak hours.
Because St. Louis Commercial Video Production is already set up for controlled aerial operations, we bring the same disciplined approach to thermal inspections that we bring to aerial video production—preflight planning, location safety evaluation, and precise flight paths.
And when needed, we can also fly specialized drones indoors for certain thermal and visual documentation requirements where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
What Decision Makers Actually Get from a FLIR Drone Inspection
From a business perspective, the value is not just the flight—it’s the deliverables and how clearly they support your decision-making.
A typical FLIR drone moisture/thermal package can include:
- Thermal orthomosaic maps of your roof or property
- High-resolution RGB (visible-light) imagery aligned with thermal data
- Annotated stills showing suspect moisture areas with clear callouts
- Short explanation videos walking your internal team, contractors, or executives through the findings
- Time- and date-stamped documentation useful for insurers, roofing manufacturers, and legal or compliance records
Because we are a commercial video and photography production company first, we understand how to present technical information in a way that’s clear, visually compelling, and easy to share within your organization and with your vendors.
Integrating Thermal Inspections into Your Visual Asset Strategy
Forward-thinking organizations aren’t treating thermal drone work as a one-off expense—they’re folding it into a broader visual asset and documentation strategy:
- Pairing FLIR moisture scans with annual marketing imagery of facilities
- Capturing B-roll and stills of buildings, campuses, and operations during the same flight window
- Building a visual history of roofs and building envelopes over time to support long-term capital planning
Because we handle both technical documentation and brand-focused media, you can leverage one coordinated shoot to serve:
- Facilities and operations
- Risk management and compliance
- Marketing and communications
- Executive presentations and investor communications
That’s where a seasoned commercial video production partner delivers significantly more ROI than a “drone-only” vendor.
Why Partner with St. Louis Commercial Video Production
FLIR infrared thermography drone inspections are highly effective on commercial properties—but only when combined with the right experience in imaging, production, and on-site logistics. That’s where St. Louis Commercial Video Production stands apart.
As an experienced, full-service professional commercial photography and video production company, we bring the right equipment and creative crew service experience for successful image acquisition in demanding environments. We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, as well as editing, post-production and licensed drone pilots who understand both FAA compliance and the realities of working on active commercial properties.
St. Louis Commercial Video Production can customize your productions for diverse types of media requirements, whether that’s a FLIR thermographic roof survey, a facility overview film, or a library of stills and video clips to support your marketing initiatives. Repurposing your photography and video branding to gain more traction is another specialty—we help you get more value from every frame we capture.
We are well-versed in all file types and styles of media and accompanying software, ensuring smooth integration with your internal systems, engineering platforms, and marketing workflows. We also use the latest in Artificial Intelligence for all our media services, from noise reduction and enhancement to intelligent tagging, indexing, and content repurposing.
Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, and our studio is large enough to incorporate props to round out your set. We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators, as well as providing the right equipment—ensuring your next video production is seamless and successful. When needed, we can fly our specialized drones indoors for select visual and thermal applications where conditions allow.
As a full-service video and photography production corporation since 1982, St. Louis Commercial Video Production has worked with many businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies in the St. Louis area for their marketing photography and video. If you’re ready to see what’s really happening on (and inside) your commercial properties—and turn those insights into powerful visuals for both maintenance and marketing—our team is ready to help.
Angel Eye Video Productions and Photography 