Information for the Client

Golden Rules to Ensure Part L Is Met - Ensure air tightness is thought about at the concept stage of the project and designed in from the start.

Ensure that all materials and components used for air tightness purposes have a similar specification and longevity as all others used on the project. There is no reason that buildings constructed to an airtight standard should be stuffy for occupiers or be at greater risk from condensation. The rule is: build tight – ventilate right.

Ensure that all areas of the air barrier (air seal line) are sealed right, first time. Air leakage from the building fabric should be low but need not lead to a stuffy internal environment. The ventilation of rooms should be designed to ensure the number of air changes per hour and amount of fresh air is adequate to maintain indoor air quality.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can air sealing be tied in with fire and acoustic requirements?

A detailed understanding of all the requirements, is necessary in order to build up a comprehensive specification that will work well on site. Addressing 2 out of the 3 issues (air/fire/acoustics) can prove to be a real problem.

How does the air tightness specification alter the amount of air sealing works on site?

Reaching the worst acceptable air permeability rate of 10m³/(h.m²) set down in Part L is achievable by air sealing the obvious leakage paths reasonably well. To reach the current best practice for buildings of 2m3/(h.m2) is more than 5 times the air sealing works. Attention to detail and a systematic, very high standard of work must be attained across the whole site.

How expensive will air sealing be to reach Part L ?

Additional building costs may amount to 0.5%. This ignores cost savings from downsizing heating plant and the lifetime reduction in energy costs.

What are the practical issues of air sealing works that should be considered by the client?

The robustness of materials and air sealing details need to be carefully considered by the client, in order that the air sealing works will last the life span of the building. Great care should be taken when the finishes of the building or vapour control layers are used. Plaster board and vapour control layers can be easily damaged, leading to high levels of air leakage.

When To Get Worried

Ensure that a coherent air tightness and sealing strategy is adopted from an early stage in the design process. If not, it will cost considerably more to put right at a later date, rather than doing it right first time. Ensure that maintenance procedures take air tightness into account. Degradation or damage to air tight elements or components needs to be minimised over the long term. Ensuring a building is well air sealed, minimises energy costs for heating/cooling over the long term.

Clients HRS SERVICES have worked for

Sound, professional working relationships have been built up with many blue-chip clients and large construction organisations. Our skills and expertise have been gained from successfully air sealing over 800 buildings across the UK and Europe, for blue-chip clients such as BAE Systems, Consignia, Norwich Union and Tesco. Repeat business has been gained from contractors such as Bovis Lend Lease, HBG, Simons, Bowmer & Kirkland, Mowlem, Kier, Britannia and Dudley’s. HRS is certified to ISO 9001 and UKAS for all air tightness operations. HRS are full members of the ATTMA, which is recognised by Building Control and Approved Inspectors as “competent persons”, as required under Part L. HRS hold P.I. insurance with cover of £2M for testing and consultancy works.

Logos for various bodies

Air Sealing - Case Studies

Click headings to read more

Show all scroller content

Air Sealing Contracting - 800 retail stores for 4 major retail chains

Since 1995 for 4 major retail companies, whom HRS still work for on a regular basis

250 existing Morrisons Stores fire stopped over a period of 18 months

HRS were directly employed by Wm Morrisons to upgrade fire stopping

New & existing Tesco stores air sealed by HRS Services

For over 10 years, Kiers has appointed HRS to air seal over 50 TESCO stores