Running into consistent problems with our FLIR Vue TZ20-R on commercial metal roof inspections. Getting thermal anomalies that don't correlate with actual moisture damage when we do follow-up physical checks. Seems like solar heating and reflective surfaces are throwing off readings.

Anyone found optimal flight times for metal roofing thermal work? Currently flying 2 hours after sunset but wondering if pre-dawn might be better. Also considering upgrading to radiometric sensors - worth the investment?

• Current setup: M30T with integrated thermal
• Target: Large commercial/industrial flat metal roofs
• Issue: 30-40% false positive rate on moisture detection

Metal roofing thermal work is tricky - you need at least 4-6 hours after sunset for thermal equilibrium. Pre-dawn (5-6 AM) is actually ideal. We switched to FLIR Hadron 640R and cut false positives by 80%.

Are you accounting for emissivity settings? Metal has low emissivity (~0.1-0.2) vs typical roofing materials. Wrong emissivity will give you garbage thermal data every time. Also check your altitude - too close and you get reflection issues.

This sounds expensive to fix properly. Why not just stick to visual inspection for metal roofs? Thermal seems like overkill unless you're specifically hunting for insulation failures under the membrane.