Air Tightness Testing

What is Air Tightness?
Air tightness measures the flow of air in and out of 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 will reduce air leakage and greatly improve heat retention. The aim of air tightness is to “build tight, ventilate right”.

It has been estimated that approx. one third of building energy losses may be attributed to uncontrolled ventilation & air infiltration. In building energy calculations this has traditionally been estimated by building services engineers without any form of direct measurement being applied. By the use of building pressurisation / depressurisation testing it is possible to quantify the air leakage rate from a building and to also assess exactly where this leakage may be taking place. With improved building regulations it is likely to become necessary to demonstrate that buildings are built to achieve a minimum standard of air-tightness on completion. In particular, “Passive House” technology requires strict adherence to specific air-tightness standards. Thermosurveys use the internationally renowned Energy Conservatory Minneapolis blower-door testing rig to carry out all building air tightness testing. This can be combined with thermal imaging if necessary in order to identify specific air-leakage pathways or other problems.