Buildings still not airtight, says BRE

Many companies still don’t know that Building Control has to be satisfied a building is airtight before it can be signed off, says Mike Jaggs, Head of BRE’s Airtightness Service. “This means that designers and contractors are not addressing the issue at the start of a project when it is very often quite simple to put in place the right design and workmanship principles.

“Failing the test means having to go back and re-do work in the final stages of construction,” says Jaggs. “It comes as quite a shock to clients when they suddenly realise they haven’t designed or built for airtightness.”

All non-domestic buildings have to demonstrate they are airtight, either by reviewing designs with Building Control or by undergoing an airtightness test.

However, Jaggs says there is some inconsistency in the way building control bodies are applying the rules. Some are more strict than others.

“It is important to iron out these differences and have everyone working to the same standards,’ say Jaggs. “They aren’t difficult to achieve, it’s just a matter of learning what to do on your first building and then rolling the process out on following projects.”