Thermographic Survey in Craigavon

Craigavon is a planned settlement begun in 1965, so much of the town sits in post-1960s construction. That matters because many homes from that period were built before modern insulation standards became normal, and the wider borough still contains a large detached stock alongside terraces and semis. In 2022, detached homes made up 42.5% of domestic properties in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, with terraces at 27.2%, semi-detached homes at 25.4% and apartments at 4.9%. Homes built after 1965 often need checking at the junctions first, not just the obvious rooms.

The local mix also includes older buildings that behave very differently under infrared. Fairview House in Tannaghmore Gardens dates from the late 18th Century, while Marlborough House on Central Way was built between 1973 and 1977 with a concrete frame and oblong concrete window panels. Older brick and timber properties often leak heat at window reveals and roof junctions, while concrete and render can hide cold bridging until the energy bill starts climbing. That is why we read each elevation against the age and form of the property, not just the colour patch on screen.

Homedata.co.uk records show 2,637 verified residential sales in 2024 across the borough, with 37.7% semi-detached, 33.1% detached, 26.5% terrace and 2.8% apartments. The wider council area reached an average of £179,907 in December 2025 and £185,000 in January to March 2026, and homedata.co.uk records show a rise of 8.8% from January-March 2025 to January-March 2026. According to home.co.uk, the average asking price for a 4-bedroom detached house in Craigavon is approximately £449,463, so hidden energy loss matters in larger homes. Warmth that leaks unchecked is harder to buy back than it is to detect.

Thermal images use a colour scale rather than a photograph, so blue or purple usually shows cooler surfaces and yellow, orange or white shows warmer ones. On a Craigavon property, that makes a cold band under a bedroom window easy to spot, even if the plaster looks fine. The camera records surface temperature patterns, not the wall material itself, so our surveyors read the picture with the structure, orientation and weather conditions in mind. A good image tells a story about heat flow, not just colour.

False readings do happen, which is why context is crucial. Sunlight on a south-facing wall in Craigavon can warm the surface and mask a heat leak, while reflections from glass or shiny metal can create bright patches that do not relate to heat loss. Wet render, damp brickwork and exposed concrete can also look colder than they should, so we annotate each image and explain why a feature matters before we suggest a repair. We check for that before any recommendation leaves the report.

The report is designed to be practical. If a cold line follows the edge of a ceiling in a 1970s block, we may identify a roof void gap or a thermal bridge at the junction. If the pattern sits around a bathroom wall in a Fairview House outbuilding, the issue may be moisture ingress rather than insulation. That distinction saves time, because the next step is not guesswork, it is targeted work. That is the difference between a useful result and a confusing one.

Our thermographic surveys in Craigavon start from £300, with the fee shaped by the property size, access, and how much time is needed to inspect the envelope properly. A detached house near Rushmere with loft spaces, extensions and a garage will take more time than a compact apartment, and that extra access affects the quote. The survey includes external and internal scanning, then an annotated report that explains each thermal image in plain English. We set out the findings so you can plan the next step with contractors or an EPC assessor.

Best results come from a cold, stable day between October and March, with the heating running for at least 2 hours and a temperature difference of 10C or more between inside and outside. Under those conditions, our infrared cameras can read surface temperature variations to 0.1C accuracy and show where the heat is escaping. That makes the survey a useful first step for Craigavon homes where bills are rising, comfort is uneven, or past insulation work has not performed as expected. That contrast is what turns the scan into a practical repair plan.