Investigation record
Record a condition without turning an observation into a diagnosis.
Keep possible causes separate from facts. A visible condition does not, by itself, prove installation fault, material defect or structural failure.
Observation log
Record repeat observations of the same component. Empty rows are omitted from your record; a missing date or note in a partly completed row is marked Unknown.
Prepare the next review
- Include an overview, middle-distance context and detail photograph taken safely.
- Identify the same component in every observation.
- Preserve original files and purchase/installation documents.
- List unanswered questions without assigning blame.
Enter a component location and an observation to create your record.
Photograph and document a condition · Follow a moisture pathway
FIELD RECORD / EVIDENCE, NOT A VERDICT
Keep the context with the detail.
Six photographs answer different questions. Images stay in this browser session; save the original files separately. The exported record contains filenames and notes, not image files.
Whole setting
Include surrounding exposure and neighboring materials.
Where is it visible?
Location tags describe your observation, not hidden depth or measured severity.
Compare two dated observations
Later view uses photo 6. Different framing, lighting or wetness can prevent a useful comparison.
Add both photographs, date them in chronological order, and confirm comparable framing to enable the slider.
Earlier: date missing · Later: date missing
This selection is your observation. It does not establish structural progression.
Moisture observation log
Record multiple locations and dates with meter identity, species correction and conditions. No moisture value is inferred from image color.
Observation is not a diagnosis. Cause, safety, hidden depth and warranty eligibility remain unresolved. Use qualified on-site review for structural or connection concerns.
Complete text record / print summary
{
"type": "hardwood-condition-photo-record",
"schemaVersion": 1,
"photo_sequence": [
{
"scope": "Whole setting",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
},
{
"scope": "Board / component",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
},
{
"scope": "Connection / fastener",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
},
{
"scope": "Surface detail",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
},
{
"scope": "Reference / document label",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
},
{
"scope": "Repeat observation",
"name": "",
"date": "",
"notes": "",
"photo_included": false
}
],
"extent": [],
"comparison": {
"baseline": "Surface detail",
"repeat": "Repeat observation",
"user_confirmed_comparable": false,
"dated_pair_complete": false,
"documented_visual_change": "Evidence insufficient for direct comparison"
},
"context": {},
"moisture_observations": [],
"evidence_level": "User-entered observations; not independently verified",
"limits": "No cause, hidden depth, residual capacity, safety or warranty conclusion. Photographs remain local and are not included in export."
}Build an observation record before naming a cause
A useful investigation separates what you can observe from what you think caused it. The same visible symptom can have more than one explanation. Preserve the location, exposure, installation history and changes over time so the next reviewer receives evidence rather than a conclusion alone.
Describe the pattern and its extent
Identify the affected boards and adjacent unaffected areas. Record whether the change is at ends, edges, fasteners or a wider surface. Include an overview and close views with an appropriate scale reference. A photograph alone cannot establish internal condition or connection capacity.
Record the unanswered questions
Keep species or product identity, moisture readings and their measurement basis, previous treatments and assembly information separate. If a fact is unavailable, say so. A missing measurement should not become a guessed value in the investigation record.
Example: a change near fasteners
A photograph shows discoloration concentrated around some fasteners. Record the pattern, exposure and known fastener identity. Do not infer the alloy or assign a corrosion mechanism from color alone. The next useful action is gathering the product and assembly evidence needed to assess the competing explanations.