Tips and Tools for Indoor Air Quality and Efficiency in Building Envelopes

Whether at an industrial plant, in a commercial office, or residential home, frequent inspections of the building envelope and the environmental conditions inside are important for maintaining healthy and efficient buildings. Here are tips on how to monitor heat loss, moisture detection, indoor air quality, as well as the performance of heating and ventilation systems.

1. Locate moisture intrusion

Moisture intrudes through joints and cracks in roofs, ceilings and walls, and is trapped, resulting in structural rot and mold.

Regular moisture detection inspections with a thermal camera, inside and outside of structures, quickly locates areas of accumulated moisture. If mold is suspected, take temperature and humidity readings using a temperature humidity meter to determine whether suspected areas have fallen below dew point levels.

The Tools:

• Fluke Ti480 PRO Thermal Camera
• Fluke 971 Temperature Humidity Meter

2. Monitor heat loss

Inspect the quality of insulation inside the building, as well as numerous other areas where heat loss can occur, such as cracks or breaks in building seals. Temperature scans inside and outside of structures—along ceilings, floors, walls, windows, doors, vents and pipes—immediately show you problem areas.

Use an infrared thermometer to scan walls, floors and ceilings and quickly determine whether room temperatures are equally balanced. If differences are found, use a thermal camera to quickly locate sources of heat loss, such as insufficient insulation or broken seals.

The Tools:

• Fluke 561 HVAC Infrared and Contact Thermometer
• Fluke Ti480 PRO Thermal Camera

3. Measure indoor air quality

Actively monitor conditions that promote a healthy, productive environment and greatly reduce the number of occupant complaints. Measurements include air temperature, relative humidity, airborne particle concentrations, and levels of CO² or carbon monoxide gases. For example, CO², which is a byproduct of respiration, can indicate the rate of fresh air exchange into an indoor space.

Previously Featured on Fluke's blog.

To help you locate moisture intrusion, monitor heat loss, measure indoor air quality and more, browse Fluke's line of electronic test tools on MSCDirect.com.