Commercial Air tightness testing

Blower Door Kit

An Air tightness test measures the flow of air within a building. Air leakage is the uncontrolled flow of air through gaps and cracks in the fabric of a building. Improving air tightness in a dwelling can reduce air leakage. The aim of air tightness is to build tight, ventilate right. This means that there are no breaks or gaps in the envelope of the building fabric and there is complete control over the ventilation system within the building. Having an airtight property does not mean there is insufficient air flow, it means there is controlled air flow. The only satisfactory way to measure air tightness is by using blower door test equipment.

Air tightness testing highlights areas of heat loss. These areas are increasing your energy consumption and, with it, the amount of money your property is wasting. Air tightness and thermal imaging can locate these areas and therefore allow you to make the necessary changes to increase the energy efficiency of your property. Our air tightness test will help you comply with part L of the building Regulations The procedures we follow include:

Commercial Air pressure tests can help ensure Fire Safety.

Define Air Tightness Compartment Envelope

Our in-house team of air tightness specialists will review the design drawings and define the required air tight compartments.

Interactive Onsite Training

We will coordinate an air tightness training programme to ensure that contractors working on the site are aware of the issues surrounding air tightness and trained in sealing the building envelope. The highly interactive training will require practical participation from contractors to demonstrate the quality of workmanship required.

On-site Inspection

We will inspect the quality of air tightness detailing and workmanship at various stages throughout the construction period.

Pre-Test Sealing & Pre-Test Inspection

Prior to commencing the air tightness test, we visit the site to ensure that all the necessary controllable ventilation openings are adequately sealed.

Air Tightness Test

We then undertake an air tightness test in accordance with ATTMA TS1 in order to determine the air permeability of the building envelope at 50 Pascals. To successfully pass the test, the maximum permissible air leakage rate through the building envelope is 10m3/hour/m2. A good test will have a positive impact on the Building Energy Rating and indicate that the building is more energy efficient than a similar building which achieves a poor test result.

Pass - Provide Pass Certificate
Fail - We Identify the Problems and Provide a Corrective Action Report.

Corrective Action Report

Should the building envelope fail to achieve the desired air permeability result, we identify the main air leakage paths through the use of Thermal Imaging and Smoke Tracing. The report will identify the main air leakage paths and suggest the most cost effective method of improving the building performance and test results.