New course in airtightness testing this autumn

Earlier this year, Iðan received a grant from the Askur Construction Research Fund to promote education on building airtightness testing.

One part of the project was to visit one of Europe's leading manufacturers of airtightness equipment, RetroTec. The goal of the visit was to acquire expertise in airtightness testing so that this knowledge can be passed on to the industry.

This autumn, a course in airtightness testing will be held, and BYKO will provide a house where the airtightness can be measured.

Airtightness tests can reveal air leaks in buildings. If a vapour barrier or other seals have not been properly installed, it can result in heating easily escaping the house, meaning the house does not retain heat well enough. It can also cause cold drafts, requiring the house to be constantly heated. Airtightness testing can also prevent moisture build-up in exterior walls, which can later lead to mould problems.

The Icelandic building code states that a house should be sufficiently tight so that no more than 3 m3/h/m2 of air “leaks” out of the house. This requirement has not been closely monitored, but it can be assumed that a well-built house meets it. By drawing attention to airtightness in houses in Iceland, it might even be possible to improve this requirement in the building code, thereby preventing moisture and mould problems and improving the energy efficiency of houses.