Setting Airtightness Standards

Aminimum standard that sets the airtightness for building enve lopes does not exist but is quite necessary. This article outlines the need for setting this minimum standard and provides a summary of the myriad of recommendations, standards, and state-of-the-art projects. It presents an overview based on a compilation and examination of the results of studies, standards, codes, tested buildings, and recommendations for whole-building airtightness in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe as tested by building pressurization test methods. The data was collected through a survey conducted from mid-2003 through the beginning of 2004.