For preselected totals of dwelling houses this article describes how statistical procedures on basis of small samples can be transferred into the prognosis whether the tolerable upper limit of airtighness is fulfilled or not. Necessary requirements on both sides are discussed - quality assurance during production of dwelling houses...

Good envelope airtightness is a prerequisite for energy efficiency and effective ventilation of buildings. Through the implementation of specific national requirements, airtightness has evolved positively in many countries, while the European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings and its associated CEN standards...

Implementing the EU-directive 2002/91/EF in Danish legislation led to regulations in the Danish Building Regulations on air tightness in buildings set out by the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority, a department of the Danish Ministry of Economics and Business Affairs. From 2006 air leakage through the building envelope...

Mould during the construction phase must be recognised by all those involved in the project as a defect that can usually, but not always, be avoided. Mould will grow on most building materials and products with organic components if conditions allow; the only really resistant materials are mineral, alkaline (e.g., cement-tempered...

Every building must be airtight, and this airtightness is guaranteed by the building envelope. The necessary air change does not happen through the building envelope but through specific measures such as an air intake and extraction plant with heat recovery .Airtightness is achieved through installation of an airtight layer...

The Blower Door procedure has shown itself to be a very effective instrument for analysing and quantifying the various components of the total problem for complex ventilation issues...

According to the recent conclusions of the 'Grenelle de l’Environnement', the energy performance of buildings has become very recently a major concern in France. As a matter of fact, building’s airtightness is now explicitly considered as one of the two levers, with thermal bridges, that will lead French buildings toward higher energy efficiency...

A thermally conductive building envelope must be constructed to be permanently airtight - this has been compulsory according to German building regulations since 1 Jan. 1995. That 6 Para. 1 of the current Energy Saving Regulations, in force since 1 Oct. 2007, nevertheless requires construction of a airtight building envelope...

This paper starts with a short explanation of how sick buildings and mould were, brought to the focus of the general public in 1993. The media have played a major role in publicizing problems with damp and run-down buildings. Due to this massive media bombardment the general public in Denmark is, compared to the rest of Europe...

Thermography is often used to locate leaks in connection with an airtightness check. In this context it is important to know under what conditions the inspection system can recognise defects to a degree of certainty and reproducibility. Applications of leak location in checking airtightness use the excitation of the building envelope...