Cold Bedroom - Internal Survey - Before and After
Click on images to enlarge.
 
An internal thermographic survey was carried out on this property to investigate why the room was much cooler than the rest of the property. This house, built in 2008 had always suffered from a cold bedroom above the garage. The thermal image (left) shows two distinctive cold patches in the corners of the room which bleed
out into the centre and up the walls. The internal temperature of the room was 20.5°C, 3°C cooler than the other rooms on this floor. The external temperature was measured to be 10°C.
Using these temperatures in conjunction with, BRE Information Paper IP 17/01, any internal temperature measured that is below 2.5 to 2.8 degrees from ambient is susceptible to condensation and mold growth. In the image light blue is set to 2.5°C below ambient (indicating ‘risk’of condensation) and Dark Blue
is set to 2.8°C and greater (indicating a higher probability of mold).
 
The construction of the house was such that the end of the room over-hung the edge of the garage and because of this, insufficient insulation was present under the floor in the areas highlighted. Following the evidence produced in the thermal survey report the house underwent a remedial insulation project, to improve the areas highlighted.
 
A second thermographic survey was carried out to investigate whether the remedial work had improved the insulation within the bedroom. The environmental conditions for the survey were very similar to the previous report. The thermal image left has lost the areas of cold from the corners of the room. When compared to the previous survey the corners of the room were now
measuring a full 5°C warmer. Again as per the previous survey we have analysed the image using the criteria set out in BRE IP17.
In the thermal image (right), a green isotherm is set to 2.0°C below ambient, which would indicate risk of condensation; however no evidence was detected. The areas of green around the window are normal and more than likely due to slight air leakage paths. The front room above the garage now shows an even temperature colouration across
the walls and floors. The areas highlighted in the first report were no longer visible, the remedial work carried out had cured the problem. Walking between the rooms the temperature differential had dropped from 3°C to less than 1°C another indication that the insulation had been improved dramatically.