Thermographic Surveys
Thermographic Surveys can determine a buildings continuity of insulation and diagnose areas of air leakage, heat loss for BREEAM credits, building comfort mitigation and improvements to reduce building energy costs.
What is Thermographic Testing?
Thermography or thermographic testing is an accurate method of surveying and recording the thermal properties of a building by indicating the heat distribution over the surface of a building envelope. Thermography also identifies areas of damp or water ingress such as leaking roofs or leaks in underfloor heating.
A thermographic survey is used to confirm whether the building has proper insulation and that there isn’t excessive thermal bridging and unintended air leaks.
These tests are usually surveys are normally done to identify thermal anomalies that indicate possible defects in buildings, so that any defects can be corrected as soon as possible. They can also be done during maintenance or as part of routine checks or if there is any suspicion that the building might have issues.
Benefits of Thermographic Surveys
Thermographic imaging surveys are used to assess the integrity of the building fabric and are usually required for one of three reasons:
- To assist in diagnosing suspected problems with the building fabric and occupier comfort levels.
Where there are suspected problems with the building fabric such as moisture ingress, condensation and mould growth or where there is the perception that the thermal efficiency isn’t what it should be, the use of thermography can provide excellent visual and quantitative evidence of the causes of the suspected problems.
- To demonstrate compliance with the construction specification on newly constructed buildings.
BREEAM Thermographic Survey
As part of Part L of the Building Regulations and sustainability assessments such as BREEAM an increasing number of Building Specifications are including a thermographic survey into the schedule of works as a means of quality assurance and to achieve the required sustainability rating.
- To identify potential improvements to reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions.
On existing buildings, thermography can be used to assess the overall performance of the individual building fabric elements allowing improving energy efficiency to be made. If required, in-depth analysis can also be undertaken to estimate the potential cost and CO2 reductions if particular improvements are undertaken.
Thermographic testing can be used as a quick method of finding air leaks in a building structure and can be used alongside airtightness testing which will quantify the leakage. Our thermographic survey report states whether we consider the insulation of the building fabric to be “reasonably continuous” as required by Part L2 of the Building Regulations and includes details and images of areas that require remedial work
What Does Thermographic Testing Involve?
Surveys are carried out once the construction of the building is complete by using a calibrated thermal imaging camera. This type of camera can measure temperatures to 0.1°C with full-colour images that are incorporated into a detailed thermographic survey report where BREEAM credits are a requirement.
Thermographic surveys are a powerful tool for diagnosing typical weaknesses in the thermal integrity of a building. Air Tightness Solutions undertakes Thermographic Surveys to BS EN 13187:1999 and BRE Report 176. Thermographic surveys for BREEAM credits are undertaken by a Level 2 thermography certified surveyor.
