Cold Spots: Causes, Consequences, and How to Fix Them

Have you ever noticed a specific spot in your home or building that just stays chilly, no matter how high you turn up the heating? These are known as cold spots. While they might seem like minor annoyances, they often signal more serious underlying issues.

Why Cold Spots Matter: The Hidden Consequences

Cold spots are more than just inconvenient; they can be a sign of underlying problems in your building’s thermal envelope, the barrier that separates the conditioned space from the outside environment. These problems can lead to:

• Drafts and Uneven Temperatures: Cold spots disrupt the overall heating and cooling efficiency, leading to uncomfortable drafts and uneven temperatures.
• High Energy Bills: Your HVAC system works overtime to combat heat loss, driving up your energy costs.
• Potential Mould Growth: Cold spots can lead to condensation, creating ideal conditions for mould, which poses health risks and can damage your property. The NHS estimates it could save £38 million annually on treating damp and mould-related illness if these problems were fixed in homes. 

In the UK alone, a staggering 58% of privately rented households struggle with damp, mould, or excessive cold, highlighting the prevalence of these issues.

Root Causes: What’s Behind Cold Spots In Your Building?

They can result from a variety of factors, such as:

• Insulation Gaps or Issues: Poorly installed or damaged insulation creates areas where heat can easily escape, leading to cold spots.
• Air Leaks: Leaks around windows, doors, or cracks in the building envelope allow cold air to enter and warm air to escape.
• Moisture Problems: Moisture build-up can compromise insulation effectiveness and contribute to cold spots and potential mould growth.
• Structural Defects: Certain structural issues can create thermal bridges, areas where heat transfers more readily, leading to cold spots.
• Plumbing Issues: Leaking pipes behind walls or under floors can cause cold spots due to the presence of cool water.

Spotting the Issue: How to Identify Cold Spots and Heat Loss?

Thankfully, there are effective methods to pinpoint the issue, detect heat loss, and identify weaknesses in your building envelope:

Combined Heat Loss Survey

A combined heat loss survey typically incorporates two key methods:

• Thermographic surveys: These non-invasive surveys use specialised cameras that detect temperature variations. By creating a thermal image of your building, these surveys can pinpoint the location of cold spots and underlying issues.
• Air tightness testing: This test measures how much uncontrolled air leakage occurs in your building. Leaks around windows, doors, and other building envelope penetrations can significantly contribute to drafts, uneven temperatures, and cold spots.

This combined approach provides a comprehensive picture of your building’s thermal performance and identifies the root causes of problems.

Taking Action with Effective solutions

A combined heat loss survey offers a thorough understanding of your building’s thermal performance, revealing the root causes of cold spots, drafts and temperature imbalances. With this knowledge, you can create a targeted plan to improve your building’s thermal envelope, including steps like:

• Improving Insulation: Adding or upgrading insulation in areas identified by the heat loss survey.
• Sealing Air Leaks: Addressing leaks around windows, doors, and other building envelope penetrations identified by the air tightness test.
• Addressing Structural Defects: Repairing any structural issues that might be creating thermal bridges and contributing to heat loss.

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The Benefits of Taking Action: Comfort, Savings and Health

Early detection and improving your building envelope can save you money in the long run by helping to:

• Reduce Energy Bills: Less heat loss means your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard, leading to lower energy bills.
• Improved Comfort: A more consistent and comfortable indoor temperature throughout your building.
• Reduced Risk of Mould Growth: Lowering condensation potential helps prevent mould growth and associated health risks.
• Increased Building Value: A more energy-efficient building can be more attractive to potential buyers or tenants.

Two thirds of people in the UK claim to have had an issue with mould in their home at least once – addressing the root cause can help prevent these issues and create a healthier living environment.

What’s Next?

Don’t let cold spots compromise your comfort or your wallet. Contact us today to learn how our heat loss survey, including air tightness test and thermographic analysis, can help you achieve a more comfortable and energy-efficient home.

Do You Live in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset or South Gloucestershire? You can save 70% on a home energy assessment!

We’ve teamed up with Retrofit West and the West of England Combined Authority to offer 70% off home assessments (subsidy up to £500), allowing you to have a home energy assessment from as little as £75 (+VAT). The voucher applies to our air tightness test, advanced air tightness test (with a full house ventilation survey) and thermographic survey. Follow the link here to learn more.