StIves - 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.

What Is Thermal Imaging?

The thermographic device works in a similar way to a digital camera or recorder, taking pictures of the varying temperatures of an area with blue representing cold and red for the warmer surfaces. An insulated room should show up orange, indicating the warm air is remaining inside. If there's a gap in the insulation or a seal is broken then the warm air can escape - this area will be a more blue colour. It's reasons like this that make thermographic images such a powerful tool, helping save money and time by identifying issues early and showing exactly where they occur.

Why Have A Thermographic Survey?

A thermal survey is a non-intrusive method of finding air that's leaking from a room, uncovering thermal bridges or revealing gaps in insulation through thermal images that are clear to understand. To help pass Government regulations, these images will show the areas that require new sealing or where building development may need altering.

Unlike a traditional thermometer, the use of a camera offers the opportunity to scan larger areas at once while displaying any issues with pinpoint accuracy. The camera is therefore the most powerful tool for diagnosing building problems.

Invaluable to contractors and building owners alike, thermal imagery identifies issues with the building fabric without the need to strip back or knock down any unnecessary structures that would cost time and money when trying to get construction completed and up to code.

The Effects Of Heat Loss Revealed By Thermography

Poor or broken insulation can lead to cold drafts throughout the building as well as giving outside moisture a root inside. This can lead to further issues like mould and damp that can be a costly fix. Similarly, thermographic images can highlight leaks in piping that can lead to the same issues if untreated.

The difference in temperature between the cold air from the outside and the warm air of the inside can also lead to condensation and it only takes the smallest of gaps to cause huge complications. Warm air escaping can also cause energy loss as heating will need to be on for longer or at a higher temperature in order to battle the constant losses from sealing gaps.

By following pipes, whether they be around a house or even under the city streets, steam and water can be seen escaping which in turn causes low pressure and even damage to the surrounding areas. Locating these cracks and breakages will help solve issues with systems such as central heating, air conditioning and ventilation. These systems must be working correctly to make sure the air is a certain temperature and humidity or the building could end up with poor air quality.

By pouring hot water through a pipework system and the pipes themselves generally cold, any blockages will stand out very clearly at where the bright colour stops. This gives you an exact position of the blockage and avoids any trial and error replacement of pieces.

Moisture Detection Through Thermal Imaging

Damp areas provide the perfect breeding ground for fungi and mould that can lead to serious health issues. Moisture damage from condensation is the most common cause behind damp areas in buildings and can form almost anywhere from floors to walls to ceilings and takes a long time to dry out properly as generally speaking most of the damage is hidden beneath the surface.

A thermal imaging survey can locate these damp patches while they're still hidden and can usually be rectified before mould can grow and spill out to the visible areas. Tougher areas may not even show themselves right away but our expert thermal team knows how to reveal them by carefully changing the temperature of a room. This is because mositure patches will take longer to change temperature than their dryer counter-parts.

What's A Thermal Bridge?

Heat is lazy and will follow the simplest path to the outside of a building, a thermal bridge will illustrate where energy is being wasted by highlighting the path that the heat is taking to make its escape. By following this path you can uncover the leakage area and fix it and ultimately save money on energy costs.

Further Benefits of A Thermal Survey

Though thermorgaphy is usually partnered with air quality, thermal imagary can reveal far more than that, for example, faulty electronics. Wire faults can cause 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 isn't simply used to show what's wrong with a building but how good too, such as if a wall or floor is completely dry upon completion. Doing this before completing the build or moving forward with construction helps create a solid foundation. If wet, however, there are certain techniques used to help the drying process and allow the building to be handed over to the client faster - with thermal images as proof of its condition.

Thermographic images highlight pipes and frameworks under the surface, showing if something's damaged or even where not to go during renovation or conversion. These structures are much clearer when behind plaster work and can indicate whether the plaster itself is wearing thin before cracks occur on the outside.

Building Regulations and Thermal Imagery

BREEAM and other sustainability statements as well as Part L under building regulations specifies that thermal surveys are now a requirement. With the proof a thermal image provides coupled with the accuracy and visual representation, this comes as little surprise. You're no longer just being told how a building has been constructed and how good the insulation and sealing is but being able to see easily and quickly makes a huge difference in not just the piece of mind for the owner but also as evidence for building regulators.