airtightness, airtight test, L2 building regulations, structural envelope, airsealing, insulation, firas, ukas

We have over 10 years building airtightness specialist experience and wish to advertise this to potential customers.

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We offer a full package of arranging the airtest, providing all necessary preparations to the building, fitting temporary sealing to plant, doors etc.. We have vast experience conducting building airtightness tests and work alongside the nominated testing bodies to complete the airtest. Q - Do I need a competent person to certify that the installation of; new or replacement windows, the installation of a combustion appliance and associated work or the installation of a hot water cylinder complies with the Building Regulations? A - No. As a consumer you have two options, using a competent person or engaging the local authority or a private approved inspector. Adopting the option of engaging either a Local Authority Building Control or Approved Inspector will require either a building notice or deposit of plans to be submitted in accordance with the normal procedures for building airtightness work that have been in place for some time. Adopting the option of employing a relevant approved competent person may involve less time, cost and effort on the part of the person ordering the work. At present there are only approved competent person schemes covering the replacement of windows, the installation of combustion appliances (including attendant builders work on hearths, fireplaces and flues) and certain plumbing work (for more details follow this link: Q - I am building an extension and cannot figure out how to use Paragraph 1.14. What do I do? A - The intention of the section is to establish reasonable airtight test area allowances for windows, doors and rooflights but not U -values. Sub-paragraphs 1.14(a) and 1.14(b) are simpler methods constrained so that compliance is certain. Sub-paragraph 1.14(c) gives more design flexibility but requires more survey and calculation work as follows. Paragraph 1.14c says reasonable provision for area allowance is 25% of the floor area of the whole building including the extension. You have to subtract from this the area taken up by the existing windows, doors and rooflights that still survive after the extension is added. What is left is the basic area allowance that can be used as windows, doors and rooflights in the extension if their average U-value does not exceed the relevant value given in Table 1. This basic area allowance can be increased (or decreased) by trading off with the average U-value. Example An existing dwelling has floor area 80 m2 and is to have an extension 20 m2. Total area at completion = 100 m2. 25% of this = 25 m2 (AA) Existing house has 20 m2 of windows, doors and rooflights. The extension covers over the patio door, 4 m2, and kitchen window, 1.5 m2. So existing windows, doors and rooflights that survive = 20 m2 - 5.5 m2= 14.5 m2 (BB).