Quebec · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Thermal imaging (thermographic) inspections in Terrebonne

An infrared camera shows missing insulation, air leaks and damp spots without opening a wall, but only when it's at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Terrebonne's long heating season gives you months of good scanning weather.

Hands holding an infrared camera aimed at a ceiling corner beside a frosty window; the screen shows a cold streak

Cost

Usually included; confirm

Best conditions

≥10°C inside/outside difference

Too little difference and leaks barely show

Winter design temperature

−26.1°C

The cold day heating is sized for

Houses built before 1961

5%

Older houses usually leak more and have less insulation

How Terrebonne is built

Terrebonne's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Terrebonne's 34,470 houses. Before 1961: 5%, 1961–1990: 45%, 1991–2000: 16%, 2001 or later: 34%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 5%
  • 1961–1990 45%
  • 1991–2000 16%
  • 2001 or later 34%
Each house stands for one in ten of Terrebonne's 34,470 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. More snow in the drawing means more heating degree-days: a longer, colder heating season. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

When to book in Terrebonne

Terrebonne gets about 4,531 heating degree-days a year, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −26.1°C. Those figures come from the climate data for L'Assomption, the closest comparable location in that data set (21 km away) in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That gives Terrebonne a long window, roughly late fall to early spring, when the inside-outside difference comfortably exceeds the 10°C an infrared scan needs.

A 1950s brick bungalow on a snowy suburban street at dusk, lamplight in the front window
The same bungalow as an infrared camera sees it: heat glowing around the door, window frames, eaves and the rim joist above the foundation
Illustration: the same house in visible light and in infrared. A winter scan shows where heat escapes: door and window edges, the eaves, and the rim joist above the foundation.

What the camera finds in Terrebonne houses

Of Terrebonne's 34,470 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 5% were built before 1961 and 50% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses are where the camera earns its keep: empty or settled wall cavities, gaps at the top of walls, and cold corners where framing bridges the insulation. Run it with the blower door test depressurizing the house and every leak shows up as a cold streak.

What it costs

Most EnerGuide advisors include an infrared scan with the evaluation, but it isn't required, so confirm when you book. In Quebec, EnerGuide evaluations are booked through the provincial Rénoclimat program: the pre-retrofit evaluation costs $150 plus taxes, reimbursed when you receive financial assistance under the program, and the first post-retrofit evaluation is free.

Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Southern Ontario and southern Quebec

What this means in Terrebonne’s climate

Cold winters and hot, humid summers: seal the attic, dry the basement, plan cooling.

Why it matters here: Shows missing insulation and air leaks as cold spots.

Best timing: December to February, early morning or on an overcast day, with at least 10°C between inside and outside.

What else homes in Terrebonne need →

Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Terrebonne

In Quebec, EnerGuide evaluations for existing homes run through the provincial Rénoclimat program; the organizations below are the ones NRCan lists for Terrebonne postal codes.

A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. Most EnerGuide advisors bring an infrared camera, but it isn't a required part of the evaluation, so confirm when you book. The scan is most useful with the blower door running.

Source: NRCan list of licensed service organizations, checked September 28, 2026. Call to confirm your street is covered and ask about wait times.

Thermal imaging inspection in Terrebonne: common questions

When is the best time for a thermal imaging inspection in Terrebonne?

Late fall through early spring, when it is at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Cold, overcast days with no direct sun on the walls give the clearest images.

Can a thermal camera see through walls?

No. It reads surface temperatures. Missing insulation or an air leak shows up because it changes the temperature of the wall or ceiling surface.

Who does thermal imaging in Terrebonne?

Most of the 4 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Terrebonne bring an infrared camera to an EnerGuide evaluation; confirm when you book.

Is thermal imaging the same as a thermographic inspection?

Yes. Thermography, thermal imaging and infrared scanning all mean reading surface temperatures with an infrared camera.

Thermal imaging inspection near Terrebonne

Get matched with a registered advisor in Terrebonne

Tell us your postal code and what you’re planning. We’ll connect you with one licensed service organization serving your area. No spam, no shared lead lists.