Construction projects in Wyoming are more often considered “remote” and at times many of the owners, architects, engineers involved aren’t located in close proximity to the jobsite. For years we’ve been able to take digital photos and email them in a relatively short amount of time to anywhere necessary showing project status or issues that need input or comment from people at a distance. Recently, however, mobile phones apps have surfaced that give a leg up on simple digital photos. Live video streaming from a mobile device is rapidly improving and becoming somewhat of a real tool in these remote situations. Two apps stand out at this point: Ustream and Qik.  If you have a video capable phone and haven’t tried either of these apps out, you should.  The possibilities in construction projects are numerous, as I’m sure is the case in any industry where showing a live video feed of what is happening would be beneficial.  From my standpoint, the jury is still out as to which app is preferred since I see pros and cons to both programs, but are there others that I’ve missed?

Recently we’ve been asked by clients to review their homes for ways to save energy, air infiltration, along with moisture and mold problems, then give suggestions as to how to fix the problems.  There is only so much you can accomplish when standing in a building for the first time and looking around for any visible problems since there is a lot that can be missed.

To give us an advantage in assessing the issues, we’ve started using an infrared camera to quickly identify the problem areas and give us an idea exactly how bad the problem might be.  As much as I’d like to tell you the camera is the perfect solution and that everyone should have one, you can’t rely on the images alone.  There has to be knowledge of the building science behind what is happening.

We’re excited to have this amazing tool in our hands and look forward to continuing to use it as a resource for our clients!