Introduction to Air Tightness Testing

Air permeability/air leakage/air tightness is the uncontrolled flow of air in and out of the building through the gaps, cracks and envelopes. The process of measuring air permeability/air leakage/air tightness in a building is called as air testing. Air testing is important as it helps in reducing the large portion of the energy getting wasted due to the uncontrolled flow of air in buildings.

According to the Building Regulations in UK, It is essential to keep up to the standards in order to reduce the carbon emission or carbon foot print in newly constructed building or existing buildings. It improves the atmosphere of the building area and protects the overall health conditions of residents in buildings. Through Air tightness testing the leakage of the air in the fabric of buildings is quantified. It is like medium to check the wastage of energy resulting in increasing the loads for space heating / cooling due to the uncontrolled flow of air in gaps, cracks and envelopes in the building.

Air Tightness Testing: Ensuring Compliance and Efficiency

Pressure testing is an extremely crucial step that can help ensure that your buildings meet the UK Building Regulations properly; and among these regulations, the most important one is Part L1.

This mandatory test that needs to be conducted by every building owner tells us exactly how much air escapes and infiltrates your structure as a result of gaps and cracks. The chief target behind such a test is to effectively promote your building's efficiency and comfort levels.

Why is Air Tightness Testing a must for every property owner?

Air tightness testing is highly important for newly built structures, it can help you gain your testing certificates. If you fail to meet these Part L1 standards, it means you will have to face refusals, serious inspections and even long delays in the commissioning process and other extra expenses.

However, if you are carrying out air tightness tests, it can help you with successful and assured outcomes. These tests aid in revealing whether your building performs under the Part L legal standards or requirements. All these reasons make testing necessary.

• Energy efficiency With unchecked air infiltration rates, a home will need more energy to heat during winter and cool during the summer. By identifying leakage points, you, as a developer can easily resolve these problems, thereby saving a good amount of energy and even raising the thermal performance of your developments and structures. This not only helps in shrinking the running costs but also helps the building maintain a low carbon footprint and stay on friendly terms with nature.
• Drastic improvement in air quality Any air leaks can allow different sorts of allergens, pollutants and humidity into a building, thereby bringing on health problems such as respiratory diseases and more. with proper sealing, you can improve the air quality and inhibit mould growth too, thus contributing to a healthier living and working environment for your loved ones or tenants.
• Comfort and Durability The air leakage that is caused by drafts can even cause temperature levels to be erratic in certain localities. Proper testing will enable you to avoid such problems and maintain a constant, uniform temperature in every room of a house or structure. Moreover, by reducing the amount of air that gets into your building, you can also help to protect its structure from moisture-related damages or issues.

How Air Leakage Testing Works?

An air leakage testing procedure is all about getting your home properly tested for any leaks; this can be done by applying pressurisation or depressurization techniques by using fan sets at your building's external doorways.

Through this highly controlled process, it's possible to test the amount of airflow that needs to be generated to effectively maintain a certain pressure difference. This will tell you exactly how much leakage is possible in your building. The main points in the process involve:

• Check if all the external doors and windows are closed
• Sealing off ventilation and extraction points is also an equally important point to keep in mind
• You will have to use a blower door fan to test the place for leakage

Another fact to know is that test results are expressed as air tightness and are measured in cubic metres of air leakage per hour per square metre. To meet these standards and requirements, our results need to meet or stay below the well-known Design Air Permeability (DAP) standards.

Key Advantages for Developers and Building Users

• Cost Effective: Thoroughly sealed buildings not only help in cutting down energy costs but also increase your property's value because of its excellence in the areas of environment compatibility and comfort.
• Simply Constructed Projects: Although a pre-emptive approach in identifying air leakages may require some extra effort in the early stages, it will eventually end up saving you time and money in the long run without fail.
• Helping the Environment: With fewer chances for air leakage, the direct energy demand is reduced too. This is particularly in line with the global sustainable development targets and thus, you can ensure that fewer greenhouse gases are emitted by your building.

If you want air tightness testing services in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, do contact us or thoroughly check out our website to know more.