When it comes to controlling the air entering and leaving your building there are two main concerns: building air quality and operational costs. While much of the focus of air barrier testing and air leakage testing are concerned about air quality, a building owner or manager simply cannot ignore the cost of air leakage. With air barrier testing and ASTM E779 testing, building owners can identify the areas of their building envelope that allow air to flow into and out of the building.
What is ASTM E779 Testing?
In short, it’s the standard test method for determining air leakage rates through the use of pressurized fans. What ASTM E779 testing boils down to, though, is locating the air leakage sites in a building’s envelope. During the testing, fans are used to change the levels of air pressure on specific areas of the building’s envelope. As the pressure changes, the rate of airflow is measured and recorded. The final results of the ASTM E779 air barrier testing are provided in a report that building owners and managers can use to have their building’s efficiency increased.
Increased building efficiency results in lower maintenance and management costs.
When a building has too much air flowing in or out of it through cracks and other air leaks, it can lead to tremendous costs. For example, in the heat of summer, air conditioning units will be forced to overwork because the cool air being pumped into the building is escaping through the building’s envelope. To a building owner or manager that means an increase in energy costs, as well as repair expenses in the event those A/C units fail prematurely due to the workload.
ASTM E779 testing also increases comfort for tenants.
If your commercial building is used for office spaces, then you might be aware of tenants complaining about high humidity, mildew, or uncontrollable temperatures. These may be the result of building envelopes not being properly sealed. During ASTM E779 air barrier testing, experts can locate those areas and help you resolve them, which will, in turn, increase comfort for tenants. Because you’re able to close these leaks in your building envelope, high humidity, mildew, and uncontrollable temperatures won’t be an issue.
ASTM E779 testing with Building Envelope Allies provides unbiased building diagnostics and inspections. We do not sell products or improvement packages. We use our experience and expert knowledge to help you. Our goal with any holistic building diagnostics test is to help identify, repair, and protect buildings, equipment, and structures.
Are you ready to get started with your air barrier testing? Request a proposal!