Air Tightness Testing for Building Enclosures

An airtight building envelope is one of the most important contributors to an efficient, comfortable, durable and healthy building. In addition to energy and indoor air quality benefits, water and moisture control is another one of the main reasons building codes and regulations have focused heavily on improving the quality of building enclosures. Calibrated fans and high-resolution manometers are used to measure air and water leakage through building enclosures via whole building tests, fenestration and facade tests, and mock-up tests. This is to ensure the building enclosure will last, energy consumption will be low, and an optimum level of indoor air quality will be provided to occupants. This presentation will cover the tools needed to perform these types of tests and show how these tests are conducted. Some examples from the field will also be presented to show exactly how the equipment is set up in a real-world scenario. We will also cover other aspects of whole building testing such as site preparation and planning.

Learning Objectives:

Gain an understanding of why it matters to have a properly designed and installed building envelope.
Learn about the processes needed to successfully conduct an air tightness test.
Learn about the tools needed to conduct whole-building air tightness tests.
See how problem areas can be located throughout the building envelope with blower doors and other tools.