During the design stage for your project a SAP Calculation will need to be prepared and submitted to local Building Control before the construction phase can begin. One part of the SAP Calculation will be to determine the Air Permeability Rate (APR) that must be achieved during the final Air Test itself.
In essence, the lower the APR – the more stringent you will need to be during the construction phase in minimising air leakage points throughout the building. At ATSPACE, our building compliance team look at the overall end-to-end process. Our SAP Assessors and Air Test engineers will always try to ensure that the client has a realistic target to hit come the Air Test day itself. Furthermore, ATPACE offers customers a discounted Air Test fee when we have undertaken the SAP Calculations on their behalf.
Therefore, it is vitally important to start planning for air tightness from the outset of your project and to ensure that you develop an air tightness strategy that can be communicated to the contractors and tradesmen during the construction phase of the project.
By adopting a focused approach towards air tightness you will almost certainly obtain a successful pass in the Air Test itself and, more importantly, ensure that long-term energy efficiency savings are achieved. As further insurance ATSPACE will always be happy to provide you with a drawing review and Pre-Test Inspection before all areas are covered at the second fix stage.