See areas where insulation is missing with the help of a thermal imaging camera

Anyone who lives in a poorly insulated home knows all too well how difficult it can be to keep the interior warm, cool, or just habitable. Small patches of missing insulation can have a huge impact on your energy bills, and can even harm your home over time if mold begins to grow where condensation condenses on your walls or ice dams develop on your roof from melting and refreezing snow. Cause physical damage.

Missing insulation is generally not visible unless you remove the wall, making it an annoying problem. However, you can see areas where insulation is missing with the help of a thermal imaging camera.

How to use a thermal imaging camera to identify missing insulation in a house?

Missing insulation can cause heat or cold penetration, which will appear as hot or cold spots on the walls or ceiling when viewed through a thermal imaging camera. You can easily detect areas of missing insulation simply by walking around the house with a thermal camera and looking for differences in temperature.

To achieve the desired effect, a temperature difference of at least 20 degrees is required. This can be accomplished by turning on the air conditioning system when colder weather warms up the house or when it is warmer outside. Mark any areas where you see temperature differences as possible locations of missing insulation.

Common areas you may find missing insulation include around outlets and switches; the edge of the attic where the exterior walls meet the roof; and unfinished garages, which if connected to the rest of the house can siphon a lot of heat in the winter. Insulation in wall cavities can also sink over time, creating cracks.

How to use a thermal imaging camera to identify missing insulation in a house?

Fixing missing insulation is a relatively simple way to significantly cut your energy bills and improve the thermal performance of your home. With a thermal imaging camera like the FLIR ONE Pro or FLIR C3, homeowners can easily check for missing insulation issues on their own and make quick fixes, or know when to call a contractor.