Our standard building thermal imaging surveys are already delivered in accordance with the requirements set out in BS EN 13187. These requirements satisfy the BRE SD5076 standard for BREEAM® credit, and are as follows:

10ºC Temperature Difference

To effectively ‘see’ heat loss (or gain) using a thermal imaging camera, a 10ºC temperature difference between the inside and outside of a building must be achieved. If a building has no operational heating system, temporary heaters – such as space heaters – may be required.

Dry Building Surfaces

Before the start of a survey, building surfaces should be dry to ensure that moisture evaporation does not skew the results. For building materials such as brick, its recommended that surfaces have been dry for at least 24 hours.

No Obstructions

In order to effectively measure surface temperatures within a building, full access must be given to thermographers in order to inspect outside walls and surfaces from the inside. In addition to this, obstructions such as furniture should be removed at least an hour before the start of a survey. This is to allow local temperature conditions to stabilise.

No Solar Radiation

To avoid the effects of solar radiation, thermal imaging building surveys should be conducted  at least 2 hours after sunset or 2 hours before sunrise. This is important, as it means that thermal imaging surveys can be expected to start at 00:00 during summer and 20:00 during winter.

Low Wind Speed

The wind speed during a thermal imaging survey should not exceed 5 metres a second (18kph). This is to stop the cooling effect from wind to affect infrared camera readings.