A UKAS Accredited Company Registered in England
& Wales No. 527550
Thermographic Surveys
Infrared Thermographic
Imaging Surveys
Thermographic Surveys
Air Pressure Testing have many years experience of carrying out thermographic
surveys and can offer clients advice at an early stage as to the most
productive method to carry out a thermographic survey.
Air Pressure Testing wide ranging technical and practical experience
of building technology, design issues and potential faults in buildings
allows us to give a high level of service both in carrying out the survey
and interpreting the results.
Building thermography is a method of indicating the heat distribution
over the surface of a building envelope. This remote-sensing technique
can be carried out with minimal disturbance by one of our engineers
and allows qualitative detection of air leakage pathways and insulation
discontinuities. The survey will be carried out using an un-cooled thermal
imaging camera, which can measure temperatures to 0.1°C and displays
the images and reports in full colour. Air Pressure Testing uses a calibrated
FLIR infrared camera, which allows full analysis of saved images.
Thermographic Surveys are carried out to BS EN 13187:1999: Thermal performance
of buildings - qualitative detection of thermal irregularities in building
envelopes - infra-red method and BRE Report 176 - A Practical Guide
To Infra-Red Thermography For Building Surveys.
On-site Requirements For Thermographic
Surveys
The following outlines the requirements for the above test. Areas of
discontinuous insulation will be more readily identified in these conditions:
• Drawings (plans and sections) and specification details regarding
the areas to be surveyed should be supplied prior to the survey taking
place
• The integrity of the building envelope should be complete for
the survey
• APT have assumed that the survey will be carried out from the
outside of the building, usually at night (or on an overcast day in
winter) when the weather is dry.
• It is important that the internal temperature of the building
is 10°C higher than the external
• If possible, the internal pressure of the building should be
raised by 10 Pascals by switching off the extract units
An hand-held infra-red sensitive camera records images of the subject
that are compared to conventional pictures of the same areas. "Hot-spots"
can then be related to features of the building and an informed view
taken of building integrity. Local/component thermography whilst a building
is depressurised can identify where air tightness needs improving.
Golden rules to ensure Part L is met
You must ensure there is a minimum temperature differential between
inside and outside the building of at least 10°C. This is usually
achieved by leaving the heating system turned on inside the building
for 12 – 24 hours prior to the survey.
Carry out external Thermographic surveys after dark (or heavy cloud),
to ensure problems with sunlight warming up external surfaces can be
ignored. Ensure the weather is dry as moist surfaces play havoc with
the survey results. Beware items of plant emitting heat inside a building,
as they can affect the results.
Why use Thermographic cameras?
A thermal image makes it easy to identify areas of missing, misplaced
or discontinuous insulation.
It can also be used to identify air leakage paths if used correctly.
Cold air leaking into a building will cause cold patches on the surrounding
fabric, which can be identified from thermal images.
Can Thermographic surveys quantify air leakage?
No, but they provide a qualitative appreciation of the thermal properties
of a building envelope, quickly over large areas and display the results
graphically in colour. Spot temperatures are also measured which can
allow for later analysis of the thermal performance of building envelopes,
again especially useful in highlighting areas of misplaced or discontinuous
insulation, something Air Leakage Testing cannot
How can you interpret the thermal images?
A sound knowledge of construction technology and a sound knowledge of
the projects design (U values, emissivity of materials) allied with
experience of on site defects is required to identify the true cause
of faults identified on site. Particular care needs to be taken with
regard to the emissivity and reflectivity of surfaces. Surfaces with
low emissivity (e.g. polished steel), appear colder than their surroundings
but are sensitive to reflective heat from background sources e.g. equipment,
lights, people etc.
When To Get Worried
If the thermal image of the inside face of a building envelope appears
to have a low surface temperature compared to their surroundings. Take
care to evaluate the results as this could be caused by;
• Missing or damaged insulation or maybe high levels of moisture
within the building fabric
• High levels of air leakage cooling the inside face
• Thermal bridging
• Evaporation of moisture from the internal surface
• Cold rooms inside the building cooling the surroundings
