BUILDING ENVELOPE TESTING OPTIONS

Building Envelope Testing is a key component in building safety and reducing expenses. Infrared Thermal Imaging Services, a Division of  BUILDINGTECH INSPECTION SERVICES, can assist investors, companies, developers and lenders in the decision-making process when purchasing, leasing, selling, investing, rehabbing, lending and managing property.

Considering your heating and cooling load can be up to 50% of your actual energy bill, an Energy Scan IR in conjunction with a blower door test will help identify the two largest sources of heat and cooling loss, thereby helping you save on your utility costs.

Infrared Thermography is a proven diagnostic technique recommended by the US Department of Energy for identifying areas of heat or cooling loss. A thermal scan of your business can identify where those wasted dollars are going, no matter what type of building or what type heating or cooling system you have.

Blower Door Test

A Blower Door is used to find air leakage in your building, by quantitatively measuring air changes per hour. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings so we can locate the air infiltration areas. When unconditioned air from outside slips into your home, or conditioned air seeps out, you have to pay to heat or cool that extra air replacement. By air sealing and insulating, you could potentially save up to 30% of your energy bill and create a healthier indoor environment. Our energy audit also includes duct pressure testing, to check for air leaks in the duct system.

Duct Pressure Test

This is the process of using a Duct Blaster to pressurize the duct system and measure the amount of airflow that is being lost through the duct system. This empowers you to locate the leaks and make the necessary repairs. The ducts that are part of the heating and cooling system offer one of the best opportunities to increase your energy efficiency, increase your comfort, and lower your energy bills.

Building Envelope Testing

The building envelope is the single most crucial element of any commercial building. A building envelope includes all components of a building that enclose conditioned space. Building envelopes create a separation between the interior and the exterior environments. The building envelope also serves as the outer shell to protect the indoor environment from outdoor weather conditions.

A building envelope design must include a solid, well formed structure, a drainage plane, an air barrier and a thermal barrier. If any one of these building envelope components fails, is damaged or is not constructed properly, minor to serious building damage can occur.

Many professional commercial building inspectors and energy auditors perform building envelope testing with infrared imaging technology to assess the performance of the “thermal  building envelope” in the process of calculating energy efficiency of commercial buildings. An infrared building envelope testing scan provides information on air infiltration, air exfiltration, moisture laden insulation, insulation voids and moisture problems within the wall assembly.

Common problems found in building envelopes using an IR scan are:

• Excessive building energy use due to missing or damaged insulation and excessive air-leakage across the thermal perimeter
• Moisture problems due to leaks or wall condensation
• Ice damage to low sloped roofs
• Poor HVAC distribution or performance
• Insufficient verification of construction details or structural performance
• Delamination of facade materials
• “Sick Building Syndrome” and other health related issues caused by mold growth

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