Thermal Imaging to Diagnose Water and Insulation Issues 

Thermal Imaging to Diagnose Water and Insulation Issues

A thermal imaging surveys when undertaken to building envelopes, can help to identify water leaks/damp issues as well as thermal insulation defects, such as missing insulation. Thermal imaging can help us quickly target the source of the problem, so you can make informed decisions on repairs.

Diagnosing Water Penetration issues

During the daylight hours (particularly sunny days) your roof and/or walls will absorb heat, as the temperature starts to cool off towards the evening the surface of your building will begin to do so as well. Parts of the building envelope (wall, floor, or roof) that have absorbed water will cool off far more slowly, so the optimum time to undertake thermal survey to highlight water issues will be around dusk. when thermal imaging can be used to identify “hot spots” on the building envelope – areas where water has leaked through the building envelope and been absorbed by substrate materials such as insulation etc. As the wet area will stay warm longer, they will show in a different colour to the non-wet areas that have already cooled down. (see photo below).

thermal imaging survey to detect water issues

Diagnosing Insulation Issues

Thermal imaging surveys can help diagnose problems due to improper insulation installation. If your insulation in your building envelope is not properly installed, unwanted heat gain or loss can occur. Missing or defective insulation as well as thermal bridging can lead to energy losses that can result in overworked HVAC systems and increased utility costs for the end user. Infrared technology can be used to assess these issues with insulation as the aberrations in temperature due to insulation and thermal bridging will stick be very easily to see when viewed through a thermal camera (see photo below).

thermal imaging survey on a commercial building

 

Please contact us for more information

Our team of APT thermographers are highly experienced in carrying out thermal imaging surveys and have many years’ experience in all aspects of engineering, construction, maintenance, management, and professional survey work and all our thermographic surveys are conducted by engineers qualified in accordance with BS EN 13187

Our thermal imaging equipment is the best and most accurate on the market, ensuring we pick up faults that other equipment may miss. Our reports are professionally presented and are clear, concise, and easy to follow. We endeavour to give our clients a first class service every time.

If you would like to contact us for more information on our thermal imaging services, please contact us on 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk.