Thermographic Commercial Building Surveys
At Thermascan, we specialise in thermographic building surveys, a non-invasive technique that uses high resolution infrared cameras to assess the condiiton and energy efficiency of a property.
These surveys are typically carried out during the evening or early hours when external conditions are stable, allowing us to capture accurate surface temperature readings. The camera produces a colour-coded thermal image, clearly highlighting areas where hear is escaping or where moisture might be present. For instance, visible cold spots around windows are often a sign of air leakage.
To gain a more detailed understanding of a building’s performance, we often recommend pairing thermal imaging with an air tightness test. This combined approach can identify exactly where heat loss is occurring due to cracks or gaps in the structure, providing you with the insight needed to take the right action.
BREEAM Standards
All building surveys are completed to BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Standards. Thermal imaging greatly contributes to BREEAM building examinations by providing a visual representation of heat loss across a building’s enclosure, allowing inspectors to recognise areas with poor insulation, air leaks and thermal bridging, which are the fundamental factors in assessing a building’s energy efficiency and achieving high BREEAM ratings. It helps pinpoint areas where improvements could be made to enhance the building’s thermal performance and sustainability by determining energy inefficiencies. These diagnostic devices can be used not to only maximise the energy efficiency of a building but can also be utilised to improve the design and construction process of future or existing projects.
The BREEAM surveys provide frameworks to enable property investors, owners, managers and occupiers to make sustainable improvements to their assets. This standard helps to improve the performance of buildings that are already in use.
Common Issues Found
Conditions for an Accurate Survey
Thermographic building surveys work by following certain conditions for you to get the best results and spot defects accurately.
Surveys should not be conducted in wind speeds over 10mph, as this can interfere with the camera’s ability to pick up accurate surface temperatures.
If it’s recently rained, the building must be completely dry before the survey. Damp surfaces can give misleading thermal readings.
The best time to carry out a thermal survey is during the winter, ideally at least two hours after sunset. Daytime sun can warm the building’s exterior, affecting accuracy.
There should be a minimum 10˚C difference between the inside and outside of the building.
This can be achieved by heating the property for at least 24 hours beforehand or using portable heaters in unoccupied spaces.
Drone-based Thermal surveys for large buildings
Surveying large buildings comes with unique challenges, particularly when it comes to safety, accessibility, and efficiency. Our drone-based BREEAM surveys help overcome these obstacles by enhancing inspection accuracy, reducing risk, and streamlining the entire process.
Key Benefits of Drone Surveys
Speed and Efficiency: Drone surveys can be up to five times faster than traditional methods, significantly reducing planning and project turnaround times.
Improved Safety: Drones eliminate the need to work at height or access hazardous or hard-to-reach areas, reducing the risk to surveyors.
Comprehensive Coverage: Drones can capture high-resolution imagery and data across large façades, rooftops, and elevated structures that are difficult to assess from the ground.
Book a Building Survey
When it comes to thermal imaging surveys, Thermascan is the name trusted by industry leaders across the UK. Our expert team specialises in delivering high-performance thermographic surveys and thermal imaging solutions tailored for commercial and industrial properties.
Our Level 2 certified field engineers are among the best in the industry, combining technical precision with years of hands-on experience. We’re not just about ticking boxes — we’re about delivering real results. Whether you're planning a major project or need a fast, reliable assessment, we’re here to help you make smarter, more sustainable decisions. Get started today — fill out our quick online form below for a no-obligation quote or call us on 01234 219421 to speak with one of our specialists.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you have some questions about thermal imaging, we provide a page dedicated for frequently asked questions, where you can find the answers here or if you can’t find the answers to all your questions here, reach out to one of our friendly team and they will assist you with any specific inquiries.
How does a Thermal imaging building survey work?
A thermal imaging survey uses infrared cameras to detect temperature differences across surfaces. These cameras capture heat patterns to identify issues like heat loss, water leaks, poor insulation, and electrical faults. The camera creates a colour-coded image, with warmer areas shown in red and cooler ones in blue. This data helps pinpoint hidden problems quickly and non-invasively.
What is a BREEAM Survey?
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the worlds most popular and known assessment method for regulating building for performance and characteristics.
Building surveys as we already know, are a great tool for identifying any abnormalities on a building. By following the standards laid out by BREEAM you are demonstrating good quality work to the industries. If people were also to ask for the report of the building survey as soon as people see that it was conducted to BREEAM standards they can immediately implement trust for you as a business as the can see you complete everything to a high standard.
What are the Requirements of BREEAM?
Much like standard building surveys you need to maintain the same conditions throughout so all those rules I laid out before are still important if you want a survey completed to BREEAM standards.
One of the main differences is that the engineer conducting the survey needs to be certified category 2 thermographer.
Can Thermal Imaging detect Gas Leaks?
In a nutshell, gas leaks need a special type of camera that works at different wavelength and is specifically tuned to the gas type it is meant to be looking for. It is not possible to pick up gas leaks with a normal thermal camera. However, pressure differentials can make objects colder, so if heavily compressed gases were escaping, it would show as a cold spot.