If your heating is on but your home still feels cold, there could be more going on than simply needing to turn up the thermostat.
Cold rooms, chilly walls, draughts and high energy bills can all indicate that heat is escaping from your property faster than it should.
Across Wales and South Wales, many properties — particularly older homes — can suffer from insulation defects, cold bridging, air leakage and damp-related problems that make them considerably harder and more expensive to heat.
At Surveying Cymru, we investigate the building itself to help identify where heat is being lost and why.
Why Does My House Feel Cold Even With the Heating On?
There are numerous reasons why a property may struggle to retain heat.
Some of the most common include:
- Missing, poorly installed or deteriorated insulation
- Thermal bridging around structural elements
- Cold external walls
- Gaps around windows and doors
- Poorly insulated roof spaces
- Defects within cavity wall insulation
- Excessive ventilation or uncontrolled air leakage
- Damp walls
- Poorly insulated extensions
- Insulation gaps around openings and junctions
The difficulty for homeowners is that many of these problems are hidden within the building fabric.
Simply looking at a wall won’t necessarily tell you what is happening behind it.
That is where a professional building investigation can be extremely useful.
What Is a Heat Loss Survey?
A heat loss investigation looks for areas of a building where heat may be escaping or where parts of the structure are performing differently from surrounding areas.
Depending on the property and the suspected problem, our investigations can incorporate a range of diagnostic techniques.
Thermal Imaging
Thermal imaging allows temperature differences across walls, ceilings and other building elements to be visualised.
When used under appropriate environmental conditions, thermal imaging can help identify unusual temperature patterns that may be associated with:
- Missing insulation
- Insulation defects
- Thermal bridging
- Cold wall areas
- Heat loss around openings
- Dampness
- Air leakage
Rather than simply guessing why a room feels cold, thermal imaging can provide valuable evidence about how the building is actually performing.
What Is Cold Bridging?
Cold bridging, also known as thermal bridging, occurs where part of a building allows heat to pass through more readily than the surrounding construction.
Common locations include:
- Window and door reveals
- Concrete lintels
- Floor-to-wall junctions
- Roof junctions
- Structural columns
- Corners of external walls
- Areas where insulation is missing or interrupted
These areas can become noticeably colder than the surrounding surfaces.
Cold bridging isn’t just an energy-efficiency issue.
If the internal surface temperature becomes sufficiently low, moisture from the air can condense on the surface.
Over time, this can contribute to condensation and mould growth.
Could Damp Be Making My House Colder?
Yes.
A damp wall can perform differently from a dry wall and may feel noticeably colder.
However, one of the biggest mistakes when investigating a cold or damp property is assuming that every problem has the same cause.
Moisture problems can potentially result from:
- Condensation
- Plumbing leaks
- Penetrating moisture
- Defective rainwater goods
- External defects
- High internal humidity
- Cold bridging
- Insulation defects
- Other building-related issues
Correctly identifying the source of the problem is important before deciding what remedial work is required.
At Surveying Cymru, our focus is on investigating the cause rather than simply treating the visible symptoms.
Is My Cavity Wall Insulation Working Properly?
Cavity wall insulation can significantly improve the thermal performance of a suitable property when correctly specified and installed.
However, problems can occur.
Depending on the construction and insulation system, investigations may identify areas where insulation is:
- Missing
- Incomplete
- Unevenly distributed
- Bridged
- Deteriorated
- Otherwise not performing as expected
Properties that have previously had cavity wall insulation installed can therefore still develop unexpectedly cold areas.
Where appropriate, further investigation may be recommended to establish what is happening inside the cavity.
Why Are Some Rooms Colder Than Others?
A significant temperature difference between rooms can provide useful clues.
For example, one bedroom may be much colder because it has:
- Two external walls
- A poorly insulated roof junction
- Missing insulation
- Greater exposure to wind
- A cold bridge
- More external surface area
- Air leakage around a window
- A damp external wall
Extensions can also behave very differently from the original property, particularly where different construction methods or insulation standards have been used.
A survey can help establish whether there is a building-related reason for the temperature difference.
Thermal Imaging Surveys in Wales
Thermal imaging is particularly useful when investigating unexplained cold areas because it provides a visual representation of surface temperature differences.
However, thermal imaging needs to be interpreted correctly.
A thermal camera does not simply “see through walls”.
The images need to be considered alongside the property’s construction, environmental conditions and other available evidence.
Used correctly, thermal imaging can form an extremely useful part of a wider building investigation.
Surveying Cymru provides property investigation and surveying services across South Wales and surrounding areas, helping homeowners, landlords, housing providers and property professionals better understand the condition and performance of their buildings.
Signs Your Property May Have a Heat Loss Problem
You may benefit from further investigation if you are experiencing:
- Rooms that remain cold despite heating
- Unusually high heating bills
- Cold patches on internal walls
- Mould repeatedly appearing in the same locations
- Condensation around windows or external walls
- Draughts
- Walls that feel significantly colder than others
- Large temperature differences between rooms
- Suspected insulation defects
- Problems following insulation or renovation work
These symptoms do not automatically prove that insulation has failed, but they can justify further investigation.
Why Finding the Cause Matters
When a property is cold, the temptation is often to start carrying out improvements immediately.
More insulation.
A larger radiator.
New windows.
Additional heating.
But without understanding why the property is cold, money can easily be spent without addressing the actual problem.
A targeted investigation can help identify where further work should be concentrated and, just as importantly, where expensive remedial work may not be necessary.
Independent Property Investigation Across South Wales
At Surveying Cymru, we use specialist surveying and diagnostic techniques to investigate problems affecting residential and commercial properties.
Our approach is centred around evidence.
Where appropriate, investigations can incorporate thermal imaging and other diagnostic methods to build a clearer picture of what is happening within a property.
Whether you’re dealing with cold rooms, suspected insulation problems, condensation, mould or unexplained heat loss, identifying the underlying cause is the first step towards finding an appropriate solution.
Book a Survey With Surveying Cymru
If your home is difficult to heat or you’re concerned about unexplained cold areas, Surveying Cymru can help investigate the problem.
We provide specialist surveying services throughout South Wales, including Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend and surrounding areas.
Contact Surveying Cymru today to discuss your property and arrange an inspection.
