[RE-wrenches] Milwaukee Sub Scanner versus Bosch D-Tect versus others?

[Louis Woofenden]

August and all,

Been meaning to post these, but keep forgetting when I'm on the correct 
computer. These were taken on my roof with a FLIR E4 (about $1000) in 
January. Probably an unfair advantage, as the house was warm, and I 
don't have very good insulation in my roof.

Haven't had a chance to use the E4 much on customer sites. I'm just too 
used to picking up the hammer, tape measure, and taking clues from 
vents, skylights, etc.

Best,

Louis

> August Goers <mailto:august at luminalt.com>
> May 11, 2015 at 12:45 PM
> Wrenches,
>
> We have a Bosch D-tect 100 and Milwaukee M12 sub-scanner. The Milwaukee is
> one of the most worthless stud finders I have ever used. It might be
> helpful for scanning concrete but is basically useless for any other
> scanning task that I've tried. It definitely won't work on a roof.
>
> The D-tect has been helpful for rooftop use over the years. It is also
> helpful for scanning concrete to find rebar and post-tension cables.
> Although I can't say that it should be relied on to find post-tension
> cables (that is a big liability)!
>
> In order to use the D-tect on the roof you have a use a thin piece of
> cardboard (like a manila folder) or a thin flexible cutting board to get
> it to roll properly. It is not easy and takes quite a bit of finesse. It
> has, however, been able to find rafters in difficult cases where hammers
> and other tricks aren't working well. There is no question that it is
> difficult to use on comp shingle or other bumpy roofs and I've found that
> most of our installers give up before getting any benefit.
>
> The bottom line is that the old fashioned hammer and measuring up from
> below is the best way to reliably find rafters. You might find an
> occasional roof where the D-tect will help but for the most part it is
> more finicky than it is worth on a roof.
>
> Has anyone tried using an infrared camera to see rafters in the morning
> when there might be a temperature differential? I've been wanting to give
> that a try but haven't yet.
>
> Best,
>
> August
>
> --
> Louis Woofenden
> Engineering Director
> Net Zero Solar, LLC
> 101. W. 5th St., Tucson, AZ 85705
> Arizona ROC #248710, 259756, 259521
>
> Phone:520.207.4053 <tel:520.207.4053>Ex. 2
> Cell:520.237.5040 <tel:520.237.5040>
> Fax:520.203.7230 <tel:520.203.7230>
>
> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional^(TM)
> NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installer^(TM)
>
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