Thermographic Survey in Durham

County Durham's housing mix gives a strong reason to use infrared imaging. Whole houses and bungalows account for 94.4% of accommodation types, flats, maisonettes or apartments make up 5.4%, and caravans or other mobile or temporary structures sit at 0.2%. Detached homes rose by 13.2% to 48,800 between 2011 and 2021, semi-detached homes rose by 7.9% to 89,800, and terraced homes fell by 2% to 83,000, so the stock is still dominated by forms with lofts, cavities and external wall junctions that can hide heat loss.

That pattern shows up again in recent sales. County Durham saw detached sales at 20.7% (2.6k sales), flat sales at 4.3% (556 sales), semi-detached sales at 32.6% (4.2k sales) and terraced sales at 42.4% (5.4k sales) in the April 2025 to March 2026 period. A thermal survey is useful across those types because the main defects are often not visible from a standard survey, especially where insulation has been upgraded in parts of a property and left patchy elsewhere. A scan can show where the work stops short, which is common in lofts, around service penetrations and at bay windows.

Durham's newer schemes also have their own reasons for a scan. Sniperley Park on the north-eastern edge of Durham is planned as over 1,900 homes, with Bellway building 368 properties, including 276 for private sale and 92 affordable homes, and many plots specify air source heat pumps and PV solar panels. The Green at DH1 by Ashberry Homes sits within that wider scheme, while DH1 by Bellway at DH1 5RA offers 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom homes from £236,995 to £549,995. Even energy-efficient new builds can show gaps at insulation junctions, so infrared testing still has a role after completion or after snagging.

A thermal image reads from cold blue through green to hot red and white, so the colour scale matters more than the colour itself. A darker patch on a wall might be a cold bridge, while a bright line around a consumer unit may show heat from electrical load. In Durham properties, the shape of the cold area matters as much as the colour, because a window reveal, a joist end or a chimney breast all behave differently.

We also explain the temperature difference behind each finding. Infrared cameras detect surface variation to 0.1C accuracy, but that still needs interpretation, especially where the sun has warmed a south-facing wall near Durham city centre or a reflective surface has bounced heat back to the lens. A cool mark after heavy rain does not automatically mean rising damp, so we look for patterns across the full set of images before we write up the report.

Our annotations make the results easier to act on. Each image is labelled with the room, the external elevation or the junction being tested, then matched to a recommendation that fits the property type in DH1 or the older streets around the centre. That means the report reads like a working plan, not a gallery of coloured pictures, and it gives you a route from diagnosis to repair.

A thermographic survey in Durham starts from £300, and the final price depends on the size of the property and the amount of analysis needed after the visit. The fee covers external and internal infrared scans, image review and an annotated report that points out the heat-loss paths we find. For homes around DH1, Bent House Lane or the wider County Durham boundary, that gives you a focused view of what is wasting energy.

The survey itself usually takes 1-2 hours, then we review the images and write up the findings with clear recommendations. The best results come from October to March, with the heating on for at least 2 hours and a temperature difference of at least 10C between inside and outside. That combination gives the camera enough contrast to show where the building fabric is failing, from loft insulation gaps to hidden draught paths at windows and doors.