Air Sealing of Buildings
Energy conservation laws take the gas permeability of the building components used as a measure of the gas or air tightness of the building itself.
In accordance with the latest energy conservation regulations as per Approved Document L, air leakage in new buildings must not exceed a value of 10 m3/h x outer surface area in m2. Nevertheless, the aim is to achieve a value of between 2 and 3m3/h x m2.
The main weak points in buildings are:
- Structural joints
- Door and window joints
- Roof connections, especially with trapezoidal sheet metal roofs
- Penetrations for pipes and cables through outside walls or walls between sections of the building
There is now increasing awareness that uncompromising adherence to the regulations and their implementation leads to a considerable reduction in energy costs (heating, cooling) without any significant rise in building costs. This, however, requires that such aspects of the construction work are taken into account at the planning stage. The search for sources of leakage after completion of construction is an extremely time-consuming and costly process, as each section of the building has to be thoroughly examined and tested.
FML use Firetherm firestop products for subsequent or supplementary sealing and refurbishment work on the shells of buildings. These products are easy to use and their ability to achieve an airtight seal has been verified in tests.
- Approved Document L2A (PDF Document)
- Approved Document L2B (PDF Document)
