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Airtightness is a critical part of
achieving an energy efficient,
healthier home or building
What is airtightness?
Airtightness is a term used when referring to the control of air and moisture through a building’s structural envelope. By eliminating zones where uncontrolled air infiltrates a building’s structure, a high level of airtightness is achieved.
Why is airtightness important?
Uncontrolled airflow through the building structure drastically reduces the efficiency of insulation and will ultimately compromise the integrity of that insulation if moisture builds up within the wall cavity.
Long term insulation effectiveness is dependent on the quality of the airtightness envelope protecting the structure of your home.
Airtightness maintains the same indoor temperature saving energy costs on your heating with perfect insulation. Airtight building insulation ensures that energy is kept within your home, rather than being wasted by escaping into the atmosphere.
Why does thermal insulation require airtightness?
"It is like wearing a thick jersey. The warming effect of the jersey drops noticeably if a cold wind blows.
If a thin wind resistant jacket is worn over the jersey, this protects the jersey against air movement, and the heat retention effect is re-established."
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If air moves freely within and around the insulation material there is little or no insulating effect.
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The air must remain still within the insulation material
to have maximum insulating effect.
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Why is airtightness important in the control of moisture transference?
The airtightness layer prevents uncontrolled air infiltration, i.e. air convection, while air exchange from inside to outside by ventilation through winow and doors still occurs. The quality of airtightness is determined by the freedom from leakages in the building envelope, i.e. the more leakages there are in the building envelope such as the vapour check, the poorer the airtightness.
Interior air flowing to the outside through leaks in the vapour check transports heat and consequently leads to a higher heating energy demand. As it flows through the thermal insulation, the warm air cools and condenses on the exterior building elements. This precipitating moisture in the structure, referred to as condensation, leads to mould formation which may remain undetected for a considerable period of time and can lead to structural damage.
Therefore it is important to eliminate, as much as possible, the airflow through the building’s structural envelope by providing a continuous seal around the internal structure and insulation.
Enjoy the benefits of creating an airtight home
The benefits of having installed the pro clima INTELLO Intelligent Airtightness System in your home or office building include:
- enjoying a warmer home in winter and a cooler home in summer (because insulation efficiency has been maximised)
- feeling good about lessening your carbon footprint in our world
- saving on your heating and cooling costs (because of reduced energy requirements)
- a healthier, drier home with better indoor air quality for your family (because a ventilation system can work more effectively and there’s protection from ingesting harmful substance like toxic mould build up in wall cavities)
Measuring airtightness – ensuring maximum and long-term performance
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