When it comes to achieving a good air tightness result, the building’s envelope needs to be treated as exactly that a complete, unbroken envelope. Every penetration, every gap and every junction is a potential weak point, and it’s the ones hidden from view that so often cause the most problems.
Boxed-in services are a prime example.
Pipework such as soil and vent pipes and toilet wastes are a standard feature of most builds but because they’re destined to be hidden behind boxing, they can easily become an afterthought. Out of sight, out of mind. The problem is that if the penetrations and junctions around these services aren’t properly sealed before the boxing goes in, you’re effectively locking an air leakage problem into the fabric of the building.
Once those areas are closed off, remediation becomes difficult, disruptive and costly. In some cases, boxing has to be partially removed just to carry out the sealing work that should have been done at the right stage of the build adding time and expense that nobody budgets for.
The solution is simple, but it requires the right mindset on site: seal first, box second. Before any service is covered over, take the time to ensure every pipe penetration through floors, walls and ceilings is adequately sealed. It doesn’t take long when it’s done at the right moment in the programme but it can take a significant amount of time to put right when it isn’t.
This is the kind of detail that separates a building that passes first time from one that doesn’t. And it’s exactly the sort of thing our team flags during pre-test consultations, helping you get ahead of the issues before they become results on a report.
