Thermographic Survey in Lurgan

Lurgan's building history makes infrared surveys especially useful. The town began in 1610 during the Ulster Plantation, then expanded through the linen trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, so a large share of the housing around High Street is older than modern insulation standards. Early homes used mud or stone walls with thatched or shingled roofs, while late 19th-century buildings often used locally quarried blackstone with yellow brick dressings. Those walls behave differently from the cavity construction used in much of the post-war stock.

The town centre's Conservation Area, designated in 2004, includes more than 40 listed structures. That concentration matters, because older fabric, lime-based repairs and repeated alterations often hide insulation gaps behind a neat finish. Lurgan also had a population of 38,198 in the 2021 census, and the housing mix stretches from older terraces to newer homes on Silverwood Road and Kilvergan Road. Thermal imaging helps us separate heritage heat loss from defects that came from a recent retrofit.

Older properties with later upgrades are a common trap. A house near Silverwood Avenue may have loft insulation and replacement windows, yet still leak through unsealed service penetrations, chimney breasts or a poorly fitted dormer. New-build phases such as The Arlington B at Riverside Mill or the homes proposed by D Gilmore Developments Ltd near the Belfast-to-Dublin railway line should perform better, but thermal scans still expose missed insulation, air leakage and cold bridging. That contrast is why our reports matter across both old streets and fresh developments.

Most thermal images look dramatic at first glance, especially in a Lurgan townhouse on High Street or a newer semi near Victoria Street. Blue and purple usually show cooler surfaces, while red, orange and white show warmer areas. A strong colour change at a roof edge, lintel or floor line often signals heat escaping, but the exact meaning depends on the construction behind it. We annotate each image so the pattern is linked to a cause, not left as guesswork.

Temperature difference matters as much as colour. A small patch can still be important if it sits at a repeat defect such as a missing insulation bat or a cracked seal around a window in Silverwood Avenue. We also check for false readings from solar gain, reflective finishes and recently opened windows, because those can make a wall look warmer or colder than it is. That is why the report explains context, not just hotspots.

Thermal imaging is strongest when it is read alongside what we see on site. In a Conservation Area property or a home near the Belfast-to-Dublin railway line, a neat plaster finish can hide a cold bridge or a damp patch behind it. Our surveyors compare each image with the room layout, building age and any retrofit work already done. You end up with a practical map of losses, not a gallery of abstract colours.

Thermal imaging surveys in Lurgan start from £300, which covers the on-site infrared inspection and the report that follows. For a house off Silverwood Road, High Street or Victoria Street, the fee depends on size, layout and how many elevations need scanning. You are paying for interpretation, not just camera time. That distinction matters because the report explains which findings point to heat loss, which point to moisture and which need a separate trade check.

Our surveyors usually spend 1-2 hours on site, then review the images before issuing annotated findings and recommendations. The best results come in October to March, with the heating on for at least 2 hours and a minimum 10C difference between inside and outside. Those conditions create the contrast needed to spot weak insulation, air leakage and thermal bridging around places like Drumnamoe or Kilvergan Road. If the weather is too mild, we can still survey, but the image contrast may be weaker.

A good thermal report should leave you with a short list of priorities, not a stack of jargon. In Lurgan, that may mean loft insulation, draught sealing, cavity repair or a closer look at damp on a ground floor wall in an older conservation property. The aim is simple: cut wasted heat, lift comfort and make the next repair decision easier.