Thermographic Survey in Bridgend

Bridgend County Borough has a housing profile that suits thermal imaging well. Semi-detached homes make up 33.5% of stock, terraced homes 28.5%, detached homes 20.8%, and flats, maisonettes or apartments 16.2%. That split gives us everything from compact red brick terraces to larger post-1980 houses, which means the sources of heat loss vary from one street to the next. A thermal survey lets us separate genuine fabric loss from issues caused by ventilation or occupant behaviour.

Age matters just as much as form. The stock includes 17.5% pre-1919 homes, 12.0% from 1919-1945, 36.6% from 1945-1980, and 33.9% built after 1980. Pre-1919 properties near the town centre conservation area, including Caroline Street, Wyndham Street, and Dunraven Place, often have solid walls, slate roofs, and timber floors that respond differently to modern insulation than a cavity wall house in Coity. Near the Old Bridge and Newcastle Castle, older masonry can hide thermal breaks behind later plaster, while homes from 1945-1980 often leak heat through walls and loft spaces that look fine from the outside.

Newer developments across Coity and Brackla need a different eye. Parc Derwen in Coity, CF35 6BF, has 3 and 4 bedroom homes from £259,995 and £399,995, while Coity Gardens in CF35 6BA includes 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes from £269,995 to £469,995. The Pastures in Brackla, CF31 2AA, and Gerddi'r Cwm in Coity, CF35 6BG, also bring modern construction into the mix, yet new builds can still show cold bridging, poorly sealed service penetrations, or insulation gaps around roofs and party walls. Thermal imaging checks both older fabric and fresh workmanship, so we can see where the building shell is underperforming.

Thermal images use a colour scale, but the colours are only clues until we interpret them. Cold areas usually appear blue or purple, warmer areas shift to yellow, orange, red, or white depending on the palette, and the important part is the temperature difference across similar building elements. A cold patch on one bedroom ceiling in a 1940s semi on the edge of Coity can point to missing loft insulation, while the same tone on a solid wall in the town centre may reflect natural thermal mass rather than a defect.

Our surveyors read the image against the building context. Reflections from glass, recent sunshine, wet rainwater on a roof, and heat stored in masonry can all produce false readings, so every frame is checked against the weather, the construction type, and the room layout. That matters around Caroline Street and Dunraven Place, where older façades and reflective glazing can make a surface look hotter or colder than it really is. We annotate each image so the report explains why the reading matters, not just what the colours show.

The report also translates the science into plain English. We mark the likely cause, identify the room or elevation, and set out the fix in order of priority. If the issue is a missing section of loft insulation, we say so. If it is a thermal bridge at a floor edge, we explain how it affects condensation risk and winter comfort, then suggest the remedy that fits the property type.

Our thermal imaging surveys in Bridgend start from £300, with the final fee shaped by property size and the level of detail needed. A terraced house in the town centre will usually take less time than a detached home in Coity or a larger layout in Brackla. The price includes external and internal infrared scans, image analysis, and an annotated report that sets out the defects we found and the fixes we recommend.

Turnaround is usually quick once the survey is complete. We aim to provide a clear report soon after the visit, with the thermal images labelled so the findings make sense without specialist training. That matters if you are comparing older stock near Wyndham Street with newer homes in Parc Derwen, because the upgrade path is rarely the same. One property may need loft insulation and draught sealing, another may need cavity checks or moisture investigation.

Best results come from the right weather window. October to March gives the strongest contrast, and we need at least a 10C temperature difference between inside and outside, with the heating on for 2 hours before we arrive. Dry, still evenings and early mornings usually produce the clearest images. If the day has had strong sun or heavy rain, our surveyors will adjust the timing so the readings stay reliable.