top of page
Blower Door test
Conducting a building air permeability test is necessary for many reasons. Regardless of whether it is checking compliance with the requirements of building regulations, maximizing energy efficiency, assessing construction quality or solving other problems, our specialists will do it accurately, in accordance with current standards.
Want to find out what the air permeability test can mean for your home?
Pieteikt tesu
Building air tightness test
The Blower Door test is a test of the airtightness of building structures. It helps to detect defects in construction, more accurately predict and improve the building's energy efficiency, and solve other construction and building operation problems. Uncontrolled air movement in buildings affects:
-
building energy efficiency (warm/cold air exchange)
-
longevity of the building (moisture in structures or thermal insulation)
-
air quality (uneven temperature in rooms, mold problems)
-
fire safety of the building (tight structures prevent the spread of fire and smoke)
-
CO2 emissions (more efficient buildings produce less CO2)
-
residents' comfort (spread of sound and odors in multi-apartment buildings)
-
equipment operation and required power (correct operation of ventilation and heating equipment)
How is the Blower Door test performed?
The ISO 9972 air permeability test standard is widely recognized in Latvia and Europe in general. This standard defines all important test parameters - how the building should be prepared, what precision equipment should be used, how data should be obtained, how these data should be interpreted and validated.
The building density test can be performed in any direction - creating a rarefaction or overpressure in the building. It is recommended to get data in both directions. The Blower Door test can be performed at any time of the year, specific infiltration areas can be detected during the test with the help of a smoke generator and a thermal camera.
Air permeability is most often expressed in 2 ways:
-
the amount of infiltration expressed as m3 per hour against the area of the building shell ( q50 m3/m2xh )
-
the amount of infiltration expressed as air exchange per hour (n50 h-1)
The area of the building shell includes the area of the entire enclosing structure - floor, ceiling, walls, windows, doors, etc. Some examples:
-
The building code of Latvia defines for residential buildings with recuperation systems q50 ≤ 1.5 m3/m2xh,
-
The Lithuanian building code defines A+, A++ classes for residential buildings n50 ≤ 0.6 air exchange per hour,
-
The passive house standard defines no more than 0.6 air exchanges per hour.
The tighter the building, the more energy efficient it will be! Experience shows that without special planning, control of the construction process and testing, the airtightness of the building does not reach the level required by the regulations. Therefore, in many countries, a building air permeability test is a mandatory requirement when putting a building into operation. The Blower Door test is an economically sound step in purchasing or evaluating a property.
Special offer!
We differ from other companies that offer an air permeability test by the fact that we also offer a solution to the detected air infiltration problems! If you choose the sealing service - AeroBarrier after the test, we will apply a discount on the amount of the test!
*** discount does not include additional mileage costs.
Learn more about our solutions for reducing air permeability in buildings:
bottom of page