St. Ives - Air tightness tests - 01752 687 017

The office that covers this area is: Plymouth

Phone Number: 01752 687 017 Email: st-ives@e2consultants.co.uk

Air Testing is sometimes referred to as Domestic Air tests, Domestic Air leakage testing, Domestic Air tightness tests, Domestic Air pressure testing, Domestic Air tightness testing, Domestic Air pressure tests.

When Should The Test Take Place?

A building envelope will need to be completed before the air test takes place - which should be one of the last surveys undertaken once all the walls, windows, doors etc. are complete and sealed. This ensures no air will escape and prevent drafts through the property which will in-turn improve your air permeability score.

How Many Properties Need An Air Tightness Test?

The number of tests required are as follows:

• 4 or less properties of the same type: one test needed per type
• More than 4 but less than 40 dwellings of a type: at least two tests of each type
• More than 40 properties of a type: 5% of each type UNLESS the first 5 get a passing score - then this can be dropped to just 2%

Do I Need An Air Leakage Test?

All new buildings in England and Wales have had a mandatory requirement since 2006 (2010 in Scotland) that domestic and commercial buildings, over a certain size, must have a passing air leakage certificate before the property can be sold.

On a large plot of new houses that are built to a similar specification, only a sample of the houses will need to be air tested. This is outlined in Part L of Government building regulations.

We offer air leakage testing throughout St. Ives where our experienced assessors will be happy to offer advice on the best ways to gain your air permeability rating. Planning your test in advance will help us determine how many tests you'll need ahead of time per property.

What Does An Air Leakage Test Involve?

Whilst the air tightness test is being undertaken, furniture will not be affected but smaller items such as paper must be held down or removed completely so they're not blown about. The pressure of the room will be tested and as such all windows and doors that lead outside must be securely closed to avoid them swinging open and the test being abandoned. Similarly, all internal doors should be wedged open to avoid being slammed shut.

There should be no outside access once the test has begun for approximately 90 minutes so plan accordingly. Workers can still do their job inside the property, within reason, though may feel some discomfort due to the noise of the fan and the draught that will be felt throughout the building.

An air test involves placing a large fan, or several fans, to an opening within the property; usually a doorway. The fans will increase and decrease in speed that will in-turn change the building's air pressure and record the results. Please note: an air test cannot be carried out if wind speed is more than 13mph. 3 metres per second is the ideal wind speed when undertaking an air test in St. Ives.

What Air Permeability Rating Do I Need?

Your air permeability rating resembles the amount of uncontrolled air that's leaking from the dwelling. A passing score in St. Ives is 10 m³/(h.m²). If the air test fails, we will help you identify where these leakage areas occur in the hope that a passing rate will be achieved following a re-test.

For further Fan Pressure Testing information for your area, be sure to check out Air-Testing-Plymouth.co.uk.