Façade leaks can be a direct threat to your building’s structural integrity, safety, and value. Water ingress can seriously accelerate material degradation, disrupt building operations, and lead to expensive repairs or legal liabilities if left unresolved.
At Building Transformation, we specialise in facade leak detection for commercial, high-rise, and heritage structures. We use the most advanced and non-destructive testing methods and specialist access techniques, including rope access, MEWPs, cradles, and bespoke scaffolding.
We can identify and resolve even the most elusive façade water ingress problems with minimal disruption to your building’s operations.
So, if you’ve noticed damp patches, internal staining, mould growth, or unexplained drafts, it’s time to act. Waiting only allows minor issues to escalate into significant structural damage and costly legal implications, especially in high-profile commercial assets.
Water ingress can travel a considerable distance within a wall system. This makes it hard to identify the true source of a façade leak. But this is precisely why we’ve designed our approach to be both holistic and precise.
Our teams have a deep technical knowledge of façade systems, so by combining this with advanced diagnostic techniques to track leaks from source to symptom, you can be safe in the knowledge that repairs address root causes rather than merely masking visible damage.
Even small water ingress points can result in considerable long-term costs, both in physical repairs and operational disruption. For example, leaks in curtain wall systems can cause condensation to collect within cavities, potentially leading to corrosion of metal components, deterioration of fire barriers, or failure of thermal insulation.
Brick or stone façades may develop freeze-thaw cycles that widen cracks and weaken mortar joints, while metal cladding can suffer from hidden corrosion spreading under concealed fastenings.
A proactive façade leak investigation is essential for both risk management and financial planning. We work with property owners, facilities managers, and surveyors to build a complete understanding of your building envelope’s vulnerabilities. By intervening early, we help you avoid emergency repairs, operational interruptions, or tenant dissatisfaction – all of which can be far more costly than planned maintenance.
Our clients know that they can count on us for the complete journey: from initial diagnosis and reporting, through planning and budgeting of remedial works, to delivering repairs with minimal operational disruption. We also provide documentation suitable for compliance, insurance, or warranty purposes, giving property owners and managers the confidence that their façade is protected long-term.
Detecting leaks in façades isn’t always straightforward. Water can seep behind cladding or into insulation without leaving any visible signs on the surface. That’s why thermal imaging and moisture mapping are invaluable tools in our façade investigations.
Thermal Imaging uses infrared cameras to spot subtle differences in temperature across a façade. Even when everything looks fine to the naked eye, thermal cameras can reveal:
These thermal scans provide a clear visual guide, helping us pinpoint where water may be entering the building envelope.
Moisture Mapping goes one step further as it uses advanced moisture meters and sensors. We measure the actual moisture levels inside materials like brickwork, render, or insulation. This means we can confirm whether suspicious thermal readings really indicate water ingress or are caused by other factors.
Together, thermal imaging and moisture mapping give us:
By combining these techniques, we can deliver accurate insights that help building owners avoid costly guesswork and unnecessary repairs.
Spray bar testing is an essential method for verifying the water tightness of façades, particularly in complex curtain walling systems or glazed assemblies. Unlike static visual inspections, this controlled test simulates driving rain under specific pressure and volume, revealing how water interacts with façade joints, seals, and interfaces.
Using calibrated equipment, our technicians direct a uniform spray of water across the façade while monitoring internal surfaces for signs of leakage. This dynamic approach mimics real-life conditions, such as wind-driven rain, which static observation cannot replicate. It allows us to detect vulnerabilities in:
Spray bar testing is invaluable both for diagnosing existing leaks and for verifying new installations before handover. For façade refurbishments, it serves as proof that remedial works have restored water-tightness to the building envelope.
Endoscopic and borescope inspections are a powerful part of our toolbox. They helps us ensure that no fault goes unseen, no matter how deeply hidden. When it comes to safeguarding your building façade, seeing inside is often the key to staying ahead of costly problems.
Techniques like thermal imaging and moisture mapping help us detect anomalies from the surface, but sometimes we need to look inside the fabric of the building itself. That’s where endoscopic surveys and borescope inspections come in.
A borescope inspection uses a slender, flexible camera probe that can be inserted through small openings, joints, or drill holes. This tool transmits high-resolution video footage and still images from otherwise inaccessible voids, cavities, or layers within the façade. Unlike more destructive investigations that require removing panels or cladding, borescope surveys allow us to see behind the façade without major disruption.
At Building Transformation, we use digital borescope technology to explore:
One of the key benefits of endoscopic surveys is the clarity of evidence they provide. Rather than speculating about hidden conditions, we can capture real-time imagery to build a diagnosis. This becomes part of your façade’s digital record.
In historic and listed buildings, this non-destructive technique is invaluable because it allows us to assess stone façades, bronze architectural features, or intricate masonry while protecting the building’s aesthetic and structural integrity.
When water ingress is detected, determining its source is crucial for effective repairs. Water chemical testing provides definitive evidence of whether the moisture comes from external rainfall, condensation, plumbing failures, or other internal systems.
By analysing the chemical composition of collected water samples, our specialists detect key indicators such as chlorides, minerals, and other chemical markers. For instance, the presence of certain ions might suggest water ingress from external environmental sources, whereas a high concentration of treatment chemicals could indicate leaks from HVAC systems or domestic water supplies.
Water analysis is particularly valuable in complex façades where multiple potential leak paths exist. It eliminates guesswork and helps us ensure that your repairs are accurately targeted and prevent unnecessary costs.
We integrate water analysis results into our overall façade investigation reports, so we can provide our clients and partners with precise recommendations and compliance documentation where required.
Choosing the right partner for façade leak detection is about more than technical testing – it’s about confidence.
At Building Transformation, we combine unmatched technical expertise with a reputation for working safely and efficiently in the most challenging environments.
If you suspect water ingress in your façade or want the assurance that your building envelope is performing as it should, speak to one of our experts today. We’ll transform uncertainty into clarity and deliver solutions that protect both your building and your investment.