B.

5 Thermal imaging and airtightness –

measuring procedures

E-B.5 1 10/09
 Contents

 Airtightness of buildings according to EN 13829

 Infrared thermography – basics and application range

E-B.5 2 10/09
 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Airtightness – “windproof”

Infiltration and exfiltration

through leakages in the building envelope

E-B.5 4 10/09 Source: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

The necessity of an airtight building envelope

• Prevention of condensation in the construction

• Prevention of drafts

• Prevention of cold floors in the ground floor

• Preventing air pollution of the room air

• Securing the sound insulation of building components

• Securing the operation and effectiveness of the ventilation

system

• Securing the insulation effect of the external building components

• Reduction of ventilation heat losses

E-B.5 5 10/09 According to: Trauernicht – www.luftdicht.de Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Differential pressure measurement

The airtightness of
a building is
Negative
measured with the Unterdruck 50 Pa
pressure
differential pressure 50 Pa
measurement
according to EN Test fan with
Airtight
Luftdichte
13829 (also called Negative Cellar
Kellertüre
door
volumetric flow and
blowtest-Prüfgerät
mit automatischem
Bespannung
cover
Unterdruck 50 Pa differential pressure
Blower-Door-Test). pressure Meßprogramm
measurement
50 Pa

The procedure is
used to detect leaks
in the building Negative
envelope and to pressure
Unterdruck 50 Pa

50 Pa
determine the air
exchange rate.

E-B.5 6 10/09 Source: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Differential pressure measurement

A fan is installed into the opening

of a window or door with an
airtight seal.

A pressure difference (50 Pa) is

created in the building with a
speed-regulated fan .

E-B.5 7 10/09 Sourcen: LTM GmbH / diedichtheitsprüfer Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Differential pressure measurement

The design pressures of 10 to 60 Pascal used for the measurement

correspond to a dynamic pressure on the windward side of a house
at wind speeds of 4 to 10 m/s (i.e. 15 to 35 km/h).

windward
leeward

E-B.5 8 10/09 Author: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Measurement method A and B

The EN 13829: 2001 distinguishes between two methods:

Method B Method A

Examination of the building Inspection of the building in

envelope under construction. operation.

Adjustable and intentional The building envelope should

openings in the building be in the same condition as it
envelope are closed / sealed. is when heating or ventilation
are being used.

This method is used to

determine the n50-value

E-B.5 9 10/09 Source: PHD Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Documentation
Building element / opening / “OPEN” Sealed “ZERO” or Comments
installation etc. (Usage “CLOSED”
status ) or “OFF”
Exterior doors X Possibly locked
Interior doors X Secured against closing by itself
Wardrobe doors No action
Trap door to an unheated attic X Doors open, if attic is heated
Cellar door to the unheated X Doors open, if rooms heated
basement / basement corridor /
staircase
Flaps / doors / hatches to unheated X Possibly locked
building areas (garage, storage rooms)
Keyholes X No action
Mailbox slot X Close, no action**)
Cat Flap X Close, no action
Roller shutter belt feed through X No action
Hatches to eaves storage space X Close, no action (open if eaves
storage space inside envelope)
Missing window handle X Seal, entry in protocol
Suspended ceiling No action
Windows in unheated rooms X Close

E-B.510 10/09 Source: [FLIB 2002], LTM GmbH, PHD Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Measuring procedure / Leak detection

A negative pressure of 50 Pa is established in the building . All

corners, doors, windows, power outlets, penetrations in the airtight
layer and connection points of different materials should be
investigated.

Most leaks can be felt as drafts

with the hand.

The air speed of individual

leaks can be measured, for
example with a thermo-
anemometer.

In addition, leakage air flows

can be made visible by using a
flow detector tube (smoke
formation).

E-B.5 14 10/09 Source: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Measuring procedure / Leak detection

With an infrared (thermography) camera leaks can be visualized before and

during the measurement.
4
1

2 5

E-B.5 15 10/09 Sources: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Measuring procedure / Leak detection

Leakages and the flow paths can be traced and made visible by using
a fog machine.

Attention!
Before using a fog machine inform the local fire department!!

E-B.5 16 10/09 Source: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Measuring procedure / Leak detection

E-B.5 17 10/09 Source: LTM GmbH Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Typical Weak Points in Wind Proof Layer

E-B.5 18 10/09 Sourcen: LTM GmbH / diedichtheitsprüfer Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Typical Leaks

E-B.5 19 10/09 Sourcen: LTM GmbH / diedichtheitsprüfer Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Typical Leaks

E-B.5 20 10/09 Sources: LTM GmbH / Kaiser Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Sample calculation together

In a Passive House with a net air volume of 500 m³, an air flow rate
of 420 m³/ h was determined with a differential pressure
measurement at 50 Pa. Was the requirement for Passive Houses of
n50 < 0.6 1/h met in this measurement?

V50
n50 
VAir
Calculation: measured air flow rate
net interior air volume

420 m³/h
= 0.84 1/h (n50)
500 m³
(> 0.6 /h requirement not met)
1

E-B.5 21 10/09 Source: DIN EN 13829 Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Sample calculation
together

For a Passive House with a net air volume of 500 m³: How big
is the maximum permissible air flow rate at 50 Pa pressure
difference, so that the limit of <0.6 1/h is not exceeded?

V50 = VAir x n50

Calculation: 500 m³ x 0.6 1/h = 300m³/h

E-B.5 22 10/09 Source: DIN EN 13829 Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Sample calculation together

How big is the rough equivalent leakage area of a Passive House with
a measured n50 value of 0.35 1/h and a resulting volumetric air flow V50
of 300 m³/h?

V50
Leckagefläche 
Leakage area
2m³/(h * cm²)
Calculation: 300m³/h
= 150cm²
2 m³/(h*cm²)

150 cm² = 12.25 cm x 12.25 cm

The result for the equivalent leakage area (A50) is expressed in cm²
and represents an approximate value for illustrative purposes!

E-B.5 23 10/09 Source: DIN EN 13829 Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Principles of infrared thermography

Infrared thermography is an imaging

method, which makes the thermal
radiation (infrared light) of an object
visible. With the help of infrared
thermal imaging, temperatures can
be measured and presented in a
planar/two-dimensional format.

The contact-free, non-destructive

and imaging measurement enables
a fast and uncomplicated analysis.

E-B.5 24 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Facts about infrared thermography

How deep can one see into a body or surface with

infrared thermography?

One can only see temperature

effects on the surface - It isn‘t
possible to see inside a body!
(With the exception of very thin
PE-sheeting, germanium and
sapphire which are infrared-
transparent!)

E-B.5 25 10/09 Source: Flir Systems Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Facts about infrared thermography

What kind of radiation is emitted by the camera?

The camera does not emit any radiation –

it only receives infrared radiation. The device is absolutely passive.

What can be “thermographed”?

Every body that is warmer than –273.15°C emits electromagnetic

thermal radiation.
Thermal radiation increases strongly with the temperature. In practice,
the spectrum of IR cameras therefore covers a temperature range from
around -20°C up to a few thousand °C.

E-B.5 27 10/09 Source: Flir Systems Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Facts about infrared thermography

How accurate is the temperature data

in the camera image?

An infrared camera detects infrared radiation, not temperature.

The camera itself then converts the radiation into a specific

temperature, based on certain parameters*.

*Emissivity, reflected temperature, atmospheric temperature,

distance, air humidity

E-B.5 28 10/09 Source: Flir Systems Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Building thermography

Examples of what can

be analysed

• Insulation
• Thermal bridges
• Leakages
• Humidity
• Cable/pipe routes
• (hidden) framework

Reasons for thermal analysis

• Structural survey – localisation of deficiencies in the construction

• As a foundation for refurbishment measures
• Quality-/process control

E-B.5 30 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Building thermography

Thermal images of buildings are only meaningful and effectively

applicable under the following conditions:

• external thermography without exposure to sun (ideally at night)

• internal thermography also without directly sunlit areas
• no rain or snowfall
• preferably overcast night sky
• temperature difference between inside and outside at least 10-15°
• little wind
• For cavity walls and other rear-ventilated facades only internal thermal
imaging is meaningful

And measurement parameters:

• Emissivity of the measured object, reflected temperature of the

surroundings, relative humidity, air temperature, distance from the object.

E-B.5 31 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Temperature measurements / parameters

High emissivity

 The apparent temperature is very similar to the actual

temperature of the subject.
 You can trust, what you see...

Low emissivity:

 The apparent temperature is sooner equivalent to the temperature

of the surroundings (reflection)
 What you can see does not necessarily represent the temperature
of the corresponding surface.
(Some laymen express it like this: “Low emissivity lies!”)

E-B.5 37 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Additional influences on the measurement results

• Sunlight

• Surface of the building element

• Wind speed

• Thermal reflections

• Attenuation in the atmosphere

• Air temperature fluctuations

• Air temperature

• Humidity on building elements

E-B.5 42 10/09 Source: diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

The colour display of thermographic pictures

The colour chart in the thermographic picture assigns

specific colours to the different apparent temperature
ranges.

The charts can offer more or less contrast depending

on the colours used and which information should be
transferred by the picture.

grey iron rainbow

E-B.5 44 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Analysis and evaluation of thermographic pictures

• Building thermography is used for visualisation purposes

and consequently for locating damaged areas and
constructional defects. It can only show the current status.

• One cannot draw any conclusions or even give

recommendations just on the basis of thermographic
measurements, without further knowledge of building facts
and boundary conditions.

E-B.5 45 10/09 Source: Flir Systems / diethermographen Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Proof of high quality workmanship

E-B.5 47 10/09 Architect: Schulze Darup Quality assurance: PHI Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Proof of high quality workmanship

E-B.5 48 10/09 Source: AIROPTIMA Author: MM

 Passive House Design | Building Envelope | Airtightness

Exercise: Thermography und blower door together ca. 2-3 UE

Practical exercise in a suitable location with the involvement of all course

participants

• Pressure difference measurement equipment (blower door device)

e.g. Minneapolis, LTM GmbH, Wöhler etc…

• Infrared thermography system

• Air velocity meter (thermal anemometer)

e.g. Testo, Airflow etc…

• Mist testing device

e.g. Dräger CH 216 etc…

• Sealants
e.g. adhesive tapes, air bellows for sealing openings, construction foil

• Laptop with suitable evaluation software (for pressure difference measuring

equipment and thermografic system) for further calculations.

E-B.5 51 10/09 Source: AIROPTIMA Author: MM