A fan for energy efficiency? If you’ve taken part in the Rénoclimat energy efficiency program, you may have guessed that I’m referring to the the door blower, the instrument used to check the airtightness of your home. But did you know that this instrument isn’t just useful for residential buildings? Stay with us as we explore three cases we’ve been involved with where a blower door test has been used in buildings a little bigger than a single house…

Case No1 | A hospital center
We were commissioned by an air-conditioning contractor to carry out this work on a large building. Our mandate was to carry out blower door tests to ensure the airtightness between different rooms within the hospital. Since some of these premises were sensitive, it was essential to ensure that the seal was complete.

To this end, we carried out a blower door test based on the CAN/CGSB-149.10-M86 standard “Determination of Airtightness of Building Envelopes by the Fan Depressurization Method”. Among other things, this test makes it possible to physically locate and quantify air leaks in a unit or building envelope.

Depending on the results of the blower door test, we can confirm that the objective has not been achieved. Our recommendations include further sealing work using certain techniques and products, as indicated in our report. Naturally, another visit will be required to verify the final results.

Case No2 | A museum
Mandated by the City of Montreal, our team visits a museum with the aim of identifying the main air leaks in the building envelope, assessing the potential for condensation inside the walls and roof, and proposing appropriate solutions to resolve the situation once and for all.

To achieve this, our building experts use a technique known as infiltrography, the simultaneous use of a blower door test and a thermographic camera. The thermographic camera can more easily detect changes in the temperature of elements created by the movement of air forced by the infiltrometer. This makes it possible to target hidden air leaks more precisely, and to differentiate them from other forms of thermal anomaly.

In conclusion, our experts identified several junctions, cracks and other openings where air leaks can occur. All the locations identified are included in the report, along with recommendations for resolving the problem. A mention is also made in consideration of the building’s age, to the effect that it is important to comply with the laws in force for heritage buildings.

Case No3 | An office building
In this dossier, our experts visit an office building with a mandate to trace the source of a serious water infiltration problem, identify the cause(s) and propose lasting solutions. To reproduce the weather conditions, present at the time of the infiltration, they use a door blower test, a thermal camera and… a garden hose. When the fan is running, it expels air outside the building, producing a negative pressure (vacuum). This internal depressurization forces water from outside into the building through all the cracks and openings in the envelope.

Using a thermal imaging camera, our experts can follow the path of the water and identify with a high degree of certainty where it is seeping in, even before making any openings in the walls.

All the problem areas identified are listed in the report, along with our recommendations, so that the customer can get the corrective work right the first time!

Whether you’re responsible for a single-family home or a much larger building, a blower door test can come in handy for a wide range of building problems. When in doubt, contact us and let us see how a blower door test can help you!