Airtight report

02 June 2011

BRE has issued new guidance on minimising air infiltration in buildings which also looks at the need for effective ventilation as offices and public buildings become more airtight.

The report “Airtightness in Commercial and Public Buildings”, published by BRE Trust, owner of the BRE research establishment, provides guidance on the regulations governing airtightness in new and refurbished buildings.

“For commercial and public buildings, good design should separate the mechanisms that provide a good supply of fresh air to occupants from the adverse and unpredictable effects of air infiltration,” said the report’s authors Michael Jaggs and Chris Scivyer.

“This demands good ventilation design, coupled with a clear, workable specification for an effective and maintainable airtightness layer. In short: build tight, ventilate right.”

This is the only guide available that provides comprehensive practical guidance on airtightness and detailing for commercial and public buildings, and other non-domestic buildings to satisfy the requirements contained within the recently published 2010 Building Regulations (England and Wales) Approved Document L2A, and the equivalent building regulations in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The guide provides generic examples of frequently occurring air leakage paths and practical guidance on methods and materials suitable for sealing common construction detailing.