Infrared Imaging for building envelope energy loss analysis.
All building envelopes leak energy(heat). Insulation systems are specified by
design professionals and installed by building contractors to minimize this
leakage of energy. If the insulation systems are not properly installed or are
inadequate, the building owner or operator will experience comfort issues as
well as increased utility costs. Most of the time, the insulation is concealed
within the construction so that once the building is finished, visual
inspection is impossible. Thermography has the ability to locate areas of
excessive energy leakage in the building envelope assembly by comparing one
area of a building, i.e. floors, walls, roofs, to other similar areas to
detect the areas of excess leakage.
- Missing or poorly installed cavity insulation, (i.e. wall
stud cavity).
- Missing or poorly installed roof or ceiling insulation.
- Drafts and air leakage around doors, windows, sill plates.
- Water intrusion into the building envelope system.
- Daytime visual inspection of the building conditions.
- Nighttime thermographic inspection of the building envelope
conditions both interior and exterior.
- Follow up report documentation including visible
light images, thermograms, description of conditions found and
recommendations based on conditions found.
- Allows repairs to be concentrated on the areas of greatest concern, so that
the building owner or operator can realize the maximum benefit of their
remediation efforts.
- Can be used for Quality Assurance purposes after new construction activity to
know if any water was trapped in the assemblies during construction, or if the
insulation was installed properly. This is a useful tool for architects…
many specify inspection to be made prior to releasing final payment to the contractor
providing peace of mind for themselves and more importantly, their clients.
Wet insulation literally leaks heat out of the building costing
occupants more money in increased utility charges and comfort issues.
Water intrusion into the building envelope can lead to the formation
of mold and mildew which can adversely affect the interior environment of the
building.
In short, infrared building envelope inspections can be an effective
tool for architects, building owners, facilities engineers, and property managers
in gaining the maximum lifespan out of their building envelope systems and in
increased energy efficiency.
Please contact us with your building or facilities information so we
may work up a proposal for your infrared building envelope inspection.
