Air Tightness Testing
What is Air Tightness?
This is the measurement of the flow of air within a building. Air Leakage is the uncontrolled flow of air through gaps and cracks within the building fabric.
Benefits of Testing:
- Highlights areas of heat loss such as:
- Reveals to windows and doors
- Sockets and other electrical points
- Loft Hatches
- Defective draught strips to doors and windows
- Other gaps and cracks etc.
Reducing air leakage and improving the air tightness of a building, reduces heating bills and saves you money. This does not mean therefore that there will be a lack of fresh air entering the building; it just means that the flow of air becomes controlled.
The aim is to “Build Tight, Ventilate Right”
In Part L of the Building Regulations it requires that a performance level of less than 10m³/hr/m² for air permeability must be achieved.
Air Tightness Testing is to be carried on a proportion of dwellings on all development sites. The guidelines are based on each dwelling type.
The guidelines are as follows:
|
Number of Units |
Number of Tests |
| 4 or less | One Test |
| Greater than 4, but equal or less than 40 | Two Tests |
| Greater than 4, but equal or less than 100 | At least 5% of the dwelling type |
| More than 100
(a) where the first five tests achieve the design air permeability (b) where one or more of the first five tests do not achieve the design air permeability |
At least 2% (for dwellings in excess of first 100 units) At Least 5% of units, until 5 successful consecutive tests are achieved, 2% thereafter |