As well as being qualified building surveyors, our HomeSnag surveyors are also qualified Building Thermographers. This is important because the majority of surveyors using a thermal camera are not trained to understand when or how to use a thermal camera properly. They may miss issues or likewise misdiagnose something due to not following the necessary procedures.

As a rule to ensure that the correct temperature difference (inside vs outside) is achieved, we only carry out thermographic heat loss surveys during the months between November-February.

The most common heat loss faults with new build houses relate to either draughts or improperly installed insulation. Insulation is found both in the loft and in the cavity of external walls. The cavity wall insulation can range from rigid panels that are built up, or it can be blown in. We use professional thermal cameras and borescope cameras to check for any cavity insulation issues and we spend time in the loft ensuring it has been laid properly. Often in the loft, tradesman carrying out work to ducting and electrics move the insulation aside or it simply hasn't been cross laid to prevent air pockets.  It is surprising how little of a gap in either the loft or cavity wall will be noticeable to a homeowner.

Whilst the winter months will lead to the majority of customers calling us to report issues, the effects of poor cavity wall insulation can actually be felt in the summer months too. The reason for this is that the purpose of cavity wall insulation is to stop air flow. So in summer months, a lack of cavity wall insulation will not prevent the warm air from transferring outside indoors to the cooler air... this is simply nature's way of wanting to return to an equilibrium. So if you have one room that is uncomfortably warmer in the summer months, it may be a sign of poor cavity wall insulation because it is too easily finding that equilibrium through the walls.

An example of both missing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation are provided below from one of our reports carried out this year by our snagger Alex. If you would like us to carry out a thermal heat loss survey on your new-build house, click below to check availability. You can choose us to carry out the survey on its own (suitable if you have been in your new build house for more than a year) or as part of the full package if you have recently moved in.

Today our snagging surveyor Alex highlighted an important shortfall in the loft of this new build house. It is a great example of how important it is to employ an experienced surveyor to snag your new build house, as this is something no homeowner would know to look for and of course it has just been missed by the site and warranty inspections.

Couple move into £225,000 dream home - only to find nearly 200 snags

Increasingly, new snagging companies attempt to copy our service and it is important to consider the difference in what we offer as qualified professionals. Our surveyors are qualified in building thermography, meaning we know what to look for and also what to dismiss. Without the knowledge we have, you are unlikely to receive the same sort of service and unfortunately get misleading advice. For example, most of our competitors that have attempted to copy our service are offering to conduct thermal heat loss checks throughout the year, whereas the correct ambient temperatures are needed to see results which is why we only conduct thermal heat loss checks in the winter months, either as part of a stand alone inspection or as part of the full package.
With HomeSnag you have the reassurance of a reputable company with qualified professionals so please ensure you don't choose an unqualified person to attend your house!

Whilst it is rare for a snagging inspection to find major structural issues, recently a Persimmon customer that moved in just 2 years ago had part of their house collapse during the night. It goes to show the poor quality that can go unnoticed by a non-professional.  Read more about this story using the link below:
​https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/emergency-works-on-24-new-builds-after-house-collapses-213092/

With the financial deadlines for most builders being June and December, the summer is our busiest time of year as plots are often handed over to clients in a dreadful state. 
Here are just a handful of pictures taken over the past couple of months by several of our snagging inspectors to demonstrate the array of varying issues we have found

One unique selling point when instructing our company to carry out a snagging survey on your new build house is that we use specialist equipment to inspect areas out of sight.
Over the past few weeks we have found several properties with damaged ridge tiles which were not identified by the builder.

As part of our standard snagging inspection we check sockets and lights have been correctly connected. It is surprising how many issues we find on a new build inspection: the following examples have been found by our snaggers Joe and Lee over just the past week alone.