Testing Buildings for Air Tightness
In a drive to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, UK building regulations require new homes to undergo a test for ‘air tightness’ (also call ‘air permeability’) by an approved testing company. This involves pressurising the building and calculating how much air is being lost through ‘uncontrolled leakage’.
Air leaks from a building through gaps and cracks in walls, floors and around doors and windows. Above a certain level, air leakage results in an increase in heating costs and uncomfortable draughts for the occupants.
Leema Technologies provides air tightness testing for new build homes, commercial buildings and private home owners who want to improve the energy efficiency of their houses. The company is registered with the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing and can test air leakage to the standard required by building control and the Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association.
In addition, the company has in-house architects who can offer advice on how to comply with the regulations and sustainable building techniques. Leema Technologies are based in the Midlands and test buildings for airtightness throughout the UK. Visit their website at www.leematech.co.uk.
Further information about ATTMA (the Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association) can be found on their website, http://www.attma.org and of particular use is the page describing how air tightness testing works: http://www.attma.org/about_testing.htm
I need this on my house. It’s freezing all the time, the air must be getting out somewhere
Yes, a test can help to drastically reduce your heating bills by finding the areas of the building where air and heat are escaping. This is especially effective in older houses which don’t have cavity walls.
Steve, stroma.com this company is really good, I got my house done and they where excellent. Gave me a walk through on where it was failing and even retested it after the work was done!
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