Do it right with YBS
Do it right with YBS
Yakima Building Science is a blower door and ducting testing company located in the Yakima area. We serve Seattle, Yakima, and Tri-Cities areas. We help our clients meet code requirements for Washington blower door and duct testing, while ensuring homes will last longer, be more comfortable, and reduce energy cost.
Contact us for a quote today at
sales@yakimabuildingscience.com
or (509)853-5997
Blower Door
INFILTRATION. The uncontrolled inward air leakage into a building caused by the pressure effects of wind or the effect of differences in the indoor and outdoor air density or both.
R402.4.1.2 Testing. The building or dwelling unit shall be tested for air leakage. Testing shall be conducted in accordance with RESNET/ICC 380, ASTM E779, or ASTM E1827. Test pressure and leakage rate shall comply with Section R402.1.3.
A written report of the test results, including verified location and time stamp of the date of the test, shall be signed by the testing agency and provided to the building owner and code official. Testing shall be performed at any time after creation of all penetrations of the building thermal envelope. Once visual inspection has confirmed air sealing has been conducted in accordance with Table R402.4.1.1, operable windows and doors manufactured by small businesses are permitted to be sealed off at the frame prior to the test. Testing of single-family dwellings and townhouses shall be conducted in accordance with RESNET/ICC 380. Test pressure and leakage rate shall comply with Section R402.1.3.1. For Group R-2 occupancies, testing shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM E779, ASTM E1827, or ASTM E3158. Test pressure and leakage rate shall comply with Section R402.1.3.2. The individual performing the air leakage test shall be trained and certified by an certification body that is, at the time of permit application, an ISO 17024 accredited certification body including, but not limited to, the Air Barrier Association of America. During testing:
1. Exterior windows and doors, fireplace and stove doors shall be closed, but not sealed, beyond the intended weatherstripping or other infiltration control measures.
2. Dampers including exhaust, intake, makeup air, backdraft and flue dampers shall be closed, but not sealed beyond intended infiltration control measures.
3. Interior doors, if installed at the time of the test, shall be open, access hatches to conditioned crawl spaces and conditioned attics shall be open.
4. Exterior or interior terminations for continuous ventilation systems and heat recovery ventilators shall be sealed.
5. Heating and cooling systems, if installed at the time of the test, shall be turned off.
6. Supply and return registers, if installed at the time of the test, shall be fully open. Exception: Additions less than 500 square feet of conditioned floor area
Leakage rate Blower Door
R402.4.1.3 Leakage rate. Detached one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) shall comply with Section R402.4.1.3.1.
R402.4.1.3.1 Dwelling unit leakage rate. The maximum air leakage rate for any dwelling unit under any compliance path shall not exceed 4.0 air changes per hour. Testing shall be conducted with a blower door test at a test pressure of 0.2 inches w.g. (50 Pa).
Group R-2 multifamily buildings shall comply with Section R402.4.1.3.2.
R402.4.1.3.2 Group R-2 multifamily building leakage rate. For Group R-2 multifamily buildings, the maximum leakage rate for any dwelling unit shall not exceed 0.25 cfm per square foot of the dwelling unit enclosure area. Testing shall be conducted with a blower door at a test pressure of 0.2 inches w.g. (50 Pa). Doors and windows of adjacent dwelling units (including top and bottom units) shall be open to the outside during the test.
Exception: Additions tested with the existing home having a combined maximum air leakage rate of 7 air changes per hour. To qualify for this exception, the date of construction of the existing dwelling must be prior to the 2009 Washington State Energy Code.
https://buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/air-barriers-airtight-drywall-approach
Duct leakage
R403.3.6 Duct leakage. The total leakage of the ducts, where measured in accordance with Section R403.3.3, shall be as follows:
1. Rough-in test: Total leakage shall be less than or equal to 4.0 cfm (113.3 L/min) per 100 square feet (9.29 m2 ) of conditioned floor area when tested at a pressure differential of 0.1 inches w.g. (25 Pa) across the system, including the manufacturer's air handler enclosure. All registers shall be taped or otherwise sealed during the test. If the air handler is not installed at the time of the test, total leakage shall be less than or equal to 3.0 cfm (85 L/min) per 100 square feet (9.29 m2 ) of conditioned floor area. 2021 Washington State Energy Code RE-33 *
4 CFM per 100 Sq Ft if air handler is installed
3 CFM per 100 sq ft if the air handler in not installed
2. Post Construction test: Leakage to outdoors shall be less than or equal to 4 cfm (113.3 L/min) per 100 square feet (9.29 m2 ) of conditioned floor area or total leakage shall be less than or equal to 4 cfm (113.3 L/min) per 100 square feet (9.29 m2 ) of conditioned floor area when tested at a pressure differential of 0.1 inches w.g. (25 Pa) across the entire system, including the manufacturer's air handler enclosure. All register boots shall be taped or otherwise sealed during the test.
Leakage to outdoor test done at final blower door 4 CFM per 100 Sq Ft
3. Total duct leakage test 8% leakage rate Test for ducts within thermal envelope: Where all ducts and air handlers are located entirely within the building thermal envelope, total leakage shall be less than or equal to 8.0 cubic feet per minute (226.6 L/min) per 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of conditioned floor area. For forced air ducts, a maximum of 10 linear feet of return ducts and 5 linear feet of supply ducts may be located outside the conditioned space. All metallic ducts located outside the conditioned space must have both transverse and longitudinal joints sealed with mastic. If flex ducts are used, they cannot contain splices. Flex duct connections must be made with nylon straps and installed using a plastic strapping tensioning tool. Ducts located in crawl spaces do not qualify for this exception.
8 CFM per 100 Sq ft
Duct Leakage where to seal
https://buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/information-sheet-duct-sealing
Contact us for a quote today at
sales@yakimabuildingscience.com
or (509)853-5997