With increasing energy costs, thermal imaging cameras have quickly become prevalent for commercial and residential building inspection. Building structures commonly exhibit quality and performance problems caused during construction and maintenance that can impact energy performance and, in some cases, rendering them dangerous. Regardless of the building type involved, infrared imaging has been shown to provide remarkable, nondestructive information about construction details and building performance.

This paper discusses the numerous applications for thermal imaging technology currently being used to inspect building envelopes. These include validation of structural details, verification of energy performance (conduction and air leakage), location of moisture intrusion, and the identification of structural and system degradation of roofs and facades. Examples will be given for each application and the basic conditions required will be discussed.

Image1: The nursing home with a poorly designed roof/ceiling insulation system had many thermal problems. The thermograms helped the owners negotiate a settlement with the architects and contractors.

Introduction

Buildings of all sorts, from homes to factories to high rises, can be troubled by problems related to design, construction and maintenance that can be difficult to diagnose and resolve. The major problems found in buildings include:

• Excessive energy use due to missing or damaged insulation, insulation that is performing inadequately, and excessive air-leakage across the thermal perimeter
• Moisture damage due to leaks or condensation, especially in the walls or roofs
• Ice damage to sloped roofs
• Poor HVAC distribution or performance
• Inadequate verification of construction details or structural performance delaminations of façade materials
• “Sick building syndrome,” mold growth and other health related issues

Often the problems – as well as their causes and consequences – simply cannot be seen until after costly damage has been done. At that point the only recourse may be extensive, costly reconstruction. The commercial building in Image 1, a nursing home, had extensive problems resulting from a poorly designed roof/ceiling insulation system; these included excessive heat loss during the winter months and, as a result, extensive ice damage due to snow melt. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in various, poorly planned attempts to correct the underlying causes. In the end the owners simply lived with the continued problem because corrective actions were deemed too expensive. Despite this unfortunate resolution, the thermograms helped the owners negotiate a financial settlement with the architects and contractors.

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