Are you planning to build a new high-performance house? Have you considered getting a mid-stage blower door test?
A blower door test measures the airtightness of a home, and the mid-stage construction blower door test will help you identify potential weaknesses in the air barrier and reduce infiltration to meet the airtightness level required by your targeted Step Code level.
ESNW has recently completed a couple of short case studies to demonstrate how the Step Code required air change rate has been achieved through a diagnostic blower door testing at mid-stage construction. We are pleased to share the results that reconfirm the importance of a mid-stage blower test to help achieve air tightness targets when building an energy-efficient home.
In summary, for both cases, the air tightness score was not on track to meet the Step Code requirements when the initial mid-stage blower door test was completed. There were a number of air leakage points identified at mid-stage construction through various tests and tools utilized by a Certified Energy Advisor and were promptly fixed by the builders and subtrades on site to reduce infiltration. As a result, the targeted airtightness has been achieved for both houses to realize Step Code performance requirements.
To see the case studies in full detail, please follow the link below.