Overview
EN ISO 6781-1:2023 - Performance of buildings: Detection of heat, air and moisture irregularities in buildings by infrared methods - Part 1: General procedures defines requirements and methodologies for using infrared thermography (IRT) to detect thermal, air leakage and moisture-related anomalies in buildings. Published by CEN in alignment with ISO 6781-1:2023, this standard sets out general procedures that help clients and practitioners specify, perform and interpret thermographic services for residential, commercial, institutional and special‑use buildings.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers the full thermographic workflow and includes requirements and guidance on:
- Scope and applicability - general procedures for building diagnostics using infrared methods.
- Personnel qualifications - competence requirements for equipment operators, image analysts, report authors and those making recommendations (with application‑specific guidance for residential, commercial and institutional/industrial surveys).
- Equipment and calibration - acceptable types and condition of thermographic cameras and ancillary tools, and requirements for calibration and checks.
- Thermography techniques - comparative thermography, comparative qualitative and comparative quantitative methods, and limitations of quantitative approaches.
- Non‑contact infrared radiometry (spot radiometry) - use of camera radiometry for point measurements.
- Air leakage and moisture - detection approaches for air movement and mass transfer; moisture detection methods including conductivity, capacitance and phase change test methods.
- Field measurements - reflected temperature, emissivity, attenuating media, and baseline/condition monitoring measurements.
- Data collection, image interpretation and diagnosis - guidelines for severity criteria, fault identification, prognosis and survey intervals.
- Reporting and safety - required content for test reports, building‑specific information, reporting of unsafe conditions, and pro‑forma safety rules.
Practical applications
EN ISO 6781-1:2023 is used to:
- Identify thermal bridging, insulation defects and heat loss paths.
- Locate air leaks, ventilation faults and infiltration paths.
- Detect moisture intrusion, damp spots and conditions conducive to mould.
- Create baseline thermal condition records for maintenance and energy audits.
- Support retrofit design, quality assurance and building condition assessments.
Who should use this standard
- Thermographers and certified infrared inspectors
- Energy auditors and building performance consultants
- Building surveyors, facility managers and maintenance teams
- Architects, HVAC engineers and retrofit professionals
- Public authorities and specification writers for procurement of thermographic services
Related standards
- Supersedes: EN 13187:1998 (and national variants such as SIST EN 13187)
- Part of the ISO 6781 series (this document is Part 1: General procedures)
Keywords: infrared thermography, thermal imaging, building diagnostics, moisture detection, air leakage, emissivity, thermographic inspection, EN ISO 6781-1:2023.
