Air tightness specification and subsequent whole-building air leakage testing are equally applicable to new construction, deep energy retrofits, or any other restoration project where an air barrier is part of the restoration work.
Specifying whole-building air tightness testing accomplishes three important objectives:
- It quantifies building air tightness.
- It provides an opportunity to locate and repair air leaks through initial testing, creating a more airtight building.
- Through testing and repair, it provides an opportunity for installers and general contractors to improve their understanding of best practices needed to construct airtight buildings. Keep in mind, an airtight building is required under the IECC.
Bringing it all together
High-performance AWRBs make an important contribution to sustainability. Realizing these benefits in a cost-effective, code-compliant manner can be relatively straightforward. Design and specification teams can do this by:
- Designing buildings with one continuous AWRB system on all walls.
- Specifying AWRBs supported with an ICC-ESR evaluation report or equivalent document that confirms compliance with relevant building codes.
- Requiring a maximum building air leakage rate of 0.11 L/s•m2 (0.25 cfm/ft2) or lower, to be demonstrated by whole-building air tightness testing.
- Requiring corrective action if the initial air tightness testing does not meet the specified maximum air leakage rate.
When it comes to AWRB systems, actions required by design and specification teams do not need to be overly complicated.
Notes
1 See “Energy Consumption due to Air Infiltration” G. Anderlind, 014.pdf (ornl.gov).
2 See “Testing and Analyzing U.S. Army Buildings Air Leakage,” A Zhivov et al, 4th Intern. Symposium on Building and Ductwork Air Tightness Oct 1-2, 2009 Berlin Germany.
3 Read the article online, “The Importance of Air Barriers,” www.buildingenclosureonline.com/articles/88372-the-importance-of-air-barriers.
4 Learn more about enhanced indoor air quality, ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Applications, Chapter 10, “Indoor Environmental Health.”
5 Consult the report, “Air Barrier Systems In Buildings,”
W. Anis Air Barrier Systems in Buildings | WBDG – Whole Building Design Guide.
6 Read “Air Sealing – Building Envelope Improvements” New air sealing fact sheet.
7 Learn about increased HVAC system efficiency, ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Applications (2019) Chapter 2, “Space Conditioning.”
8 Consult the Passive House Institute. “Criteria for the Passive House,” passivehouse.com/?lang=en#criteriadetails.
Author
