St Andrews - Thermography Survey - 0800 043 8100

Our thermographic surveyors are fully approved and trained to UKTA Level 2 standards, verified to PCN level, and are BINDT certified.

Why Use A Thermal Survey?

Thermal imaging is a quick, easy and non-destructive method of finding any air that's leaking from a building, gaps in insulation or uncovering thermal bridges with the results displayed in clear images. These areas can then be sealed up or building development altered, if needed, to help the building pass Government regulations.

The identification of property issues within the building fabric without knocking down or stripping anything back is invaluable to both contractors and owners with the results likely to save both time and money in getting the building up to code and completed.

The advantage of a camera over a thermometer, for example, is its ability to scan large areas at a time as well its pinpoint accuracy. It's reasons like this why thermal image cameras are one of the most popular tools when diagnosing building problems.

How Do Thermal Images Work?

As the name suggests, the thermography device, that works the same way as a digital camera, takes pictures of the varying temperatures of an area on a scale of blue (cold) to red (hot). A well-insulated room may show up as orange but if there's a broken seal where the warm air is escaping, this little area will show as blue. This makes thermography a very powerful tool to help save both time and money by not only identifying issues early but showing you exactly where they occur.

Thermal Imaging Reveals Heat Loss Areas

Cold drafts through a building or damp patches can be the result of poor or broken insulation and pipework. These can lead to further issues like mould or damp when left untreated resulting in costly maintenance work to set right. Condensation forms when warm air hits cold air so if there are any air leakage areas, it only takes the smallest of gaps, then huge complications can occur in the long run.

Pouring hot water through a pipe system will reveal any blockages with ease as to where the bright colour stops against the naturally cold pipes displayed in a darker tone. This avoids any trial and error replacement of pieces by giving you an exact position of the problem.

Following pipes, whether through a house or under city streets, thermal images can see if any steam or water is escaping leading to low pressure or damage to the surrounding areas. Mending these cracks and breakages will help solve issues in air conditioning, ventilation and central heating. These systems must maintain a certain temperature and humidity to ensure the air quality is of a decent enough standard around the building.

Moisture Detection Through Thermography

Thermographic surveys can detect damp patches while they are still hidden and therefore can be solved before any mould patches spread to more visible places. Damp patches take longer to change temperature and because of this, even if there doesn't appear to be any moisture build-up at first, our experienced thermal team knows how to reveal tougher areas by warming up a room first.

These types of damp areas provide a perfect breeding ground for mould and fungi that can cause some serious health issues. Condensation is the most common cause of moisture damage in buildings and can form almost anywhere - floors, walls, ceilings - and can take a long time to dry out as, generally speaking, most of the damage is beneath the surface.

What's Meant By 'Thermal Bridging'?

A thermal bridge will highlight where energy is being wasted as heat is lazy and will follow the simplest path to the outside of a building. You can follow the heat's escape path to uncover the source of the leak and fix it, ultimately saving money on energy costs.

Other Benefits To Thermographic Surveys

As well as uncovering all the issues with a property's development, thermographic imaging is used to show how good a building is as well as if a floor or wall is completely dry following construction. Making sure an area is dry before continuing or completing the build helps create a solid and stable foundation. If still slightly wet then there are certain techniques that can be utilised to speed up the drying process which in turn allows the building to be handed over to the client faster with thermal images as proof of its condition.

Thermal images can highlight pipes and structure frameworks beneath the surface making it easier to not only see if something's damaged but where and where not to drill or knock down during renovation or conversion. These types of structures generally show up better behind plaster work and can indicate whether the plaster itself is wearing thin on the inside before any cracks or detachments occur on the visible side.

Though thermal surveys are usually related to air quality, thermal images can show us a lot more than that, for example electrical faults. Inside a fuse box or cabinet there may be wire faults causing overheating that would be undetectable by the naked eye from the outside until it's too late. Spotting these types of heat signatures early can avoid short-fusing a system and even fires around poorly managed units.

Thermography and Building Regulations

With sustainability statements, such as BREEAM, and building regulations, under Part L, many building specifications are adding thermography surveys as a requirement. With the assurances thermal imaging provides coupled with their accuracy and visual representation, this comes as no surprise. It's one thing to be told how a building has been put together and how well the insulation and sealings are, but to be able to show that as easily and quickly as thermal images do makes a huge difference in not just the piece of mind for the owner but also as clear proof to building regulators.