User's Manual

27.3.8 Insulation deficiencies
27.3.8.1 General information
Insulation deficiencies do not necessarily lead to air infiltration. If fiberglass insulation
batts are improperly installed air pockets will form in the building structure. Since
these air pockets have a different thermal conductivity than areas where the insulation
batts are properly installed, the air pockets can be detected during a building ther-
mography inspection.
As a rule of thumb, areas with insulation deficiencies typically have higher temperatures
than where there is only an air infiltration.
When carrying out building thermography inspections aimed at detecting insulation
deficiencies, be aware of the following parts in a building structure, which may look
like insulation deficiencies on the infrared image:
■ Wooden joists, studs, rafter, beams
■ Steel girders and steel beams
■ Water piping inside walls, ceilings, floors
■ Electrical installations inside walls, ceilings, floors—such as trunking, piping etc.
■ Concrete columns inside timber framed walls
■ Ventilation ducts & air ducts
27.3.8.2 Commented building structures
This section includes a few typical examples of details of building structures with in-
sulation deficiencies:
CommentStructural drawing
Insulation deficiencies (and air infiltration) due to
improper installation of insulation batts around an
electrical mains supply.
This kind of insulation deficiency will show up as
dark areas on an infrared image.
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Publ. No. T559597 Rev. a554 – ENGLISH (EN) – September 27, 2011 103
27 – Introduction to building thermography