The Red Blog

Air leakage from buildings is a relatively new issue for the construction industry but is now a very important one since Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) of the Building Regulations 2006 stipulate the maximum allowed leakage rates from new buildings. These regulations are an essential part of the Government’s strategy for reducing UK emissions of greenhouse gases (notably carbon dioxide and water vapour from energy production) .

The UK building industry aims to make an important contribution to reducing carbon emissions by designing and constructing buildings that do not leak excessive air through the fabric of the building. This occurs from gaps, holes and crack which are not always visible to the naked eye. Both air leakage (and infiltration of air into a building from outdoors) waste the energy used to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Part L of the Building Regulations specify maximum values for the air permeability (or air tightness) of both commercial and public buildings. They require many buildings to be tested once construction is finished to show that they comply with the specifications. For some projects, testing at an earlier stage can help ensure that build quality will not result in air leakage rates exceeding the maximum.

Leema Technologies provide airtightness testing services and certification to the required ATTMA ‘TS1’ standard nationwide, and are a registered member of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT). With over 35 years experience in the construction and testing industry and their own RIBA accredited architects in-house, their engineers are uniquely qualified to test all types of buildings while minimising on-site disruption.

The company can also provide advice on construction techniques for ensuring compliance with the new Building Regulations as well as the formal air tightness testing required. Contact Leema Technologies for more information on air tightness testing.