Canberra Blower Door Testing

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Canberra Blower Door Testing Offering fully certified blower door testing and thermography services since 2019 to old, new, and Passivhaus homes in the Canberra region.

Call Kevin on 0466 583 569 for more information. Email: [email protected]

25/05/2025

A common source of air leakage in homes is the space above the fridge. These vents typically connect to the roof space, allowing significant air leakage.
But are they really necessary?
Perhaps they were a requirement in the past when fridges and freezers were high-energy appliances. However, with modern, energy-efficient refrigeration, this is no longer an issue. Despite this, these vents are still being installed, likely a legacy practice: "We’ve always done it this way, so we continue to do it."
If such vents were still genuinely required, fridges couldn’t be installed in apartments, where concrete floors and strict fire separation rules make such venting impossible.

🌟 Cavity Sliding Doors: Sealing the Leaks Is Easier Than You Think 🌟This clip is a follow-up to my previous video, where...
19/05/2025

🌟 Cavity Sliding Doors: Sealing the Leaks Is Easier Than You Think 🌟
This clip is a follow-up to my previous video, where I demonstrated how leaky cavity sliding doors can be. Here, I’ll show you a simple, low-cost fix applied before the Gyprock stage to eliminate those drafts entirely.
If your home uses lightweight steel framing (LSF), additional detailing is required to prevent leaks. Unlike timber framing, LSF’s hollow sections allow air to move freely, making proper sealing even more essential.
All it takes is a proactive builder and Gyprockers who understand the value of good draft-proofing. Unfortunately, this can be a challenge. It’s not just the construction industry mentality but a broader Australian mindset that has been slow to embrace energy-efficient building practices. This reluctance has hindered the adoption of simple, impactful solutions.
💡 The Key Takeaway: These leaks are simple to fix during installation but nearly impossible to address afterward.
Compare the before and after results in the videos, both filmed at the same -50 pascal pressure differential, and see the accompanying photo details of the simple fix.

19/05/2025

💨 Cavity Sliding Doors: A Hidden Leak You Can’t Ignore! 💨
This video, filmed with the blower door running at -50 pascals, shows just how leaky a cavity sliding door install can be. With a standard installation, no cavity sliding door is completely leak-free. The more doors you have, the leakier your home becomes, and the impact can be significant.
In this case, the high leakage is partly due to the use of lightweight steel framing (LSF) instead of timber framing. The hollow sections of LSF allow air to move more freely as there are no butt joints between the noggins and the studs, further contributing to the leaks.
But that’s not all! Where does that air come from? 🤔 Often, it’s drawn from your roof space, bringing insulation fibres, scorching 50°C air in summer, or wasting your precious warm air in winter.
The worst part, once installed, it’s practically impossible to fix the leaks. The good news? It’s super easy to prevent at the Gyprock stage for just a few dollars per door and a bit of effort.
I'll show you exactly how to seal these leaks in my next upload!

Here are some thermal images that truly showcase the level of craftsmanship found in modern construction across Australi...
21/01/2025

Here are some thermal images that truly showcase the level of craftsmanship found in modern construction across Australia in 2025.
These shots were taken just a couple of weeks ago from the upper storey of a so-called 6-star rated home, built with metal framing, a great choice if you're aiming for energy inefficiency.
On the day of the photos, the outside temperature was a pleasant 33°C, but the upstairs interior was sitting in the high 30s. A tropical paradise in the middle of suburban Canberra.
Take a close look at the spot markings in the thermal images and the corresponding temperature data to the left. A hefty 40°C on the studs, and an alarming 58.6°C on the aluminium window frame. Anyone for Bikram yoga?
Now, call me old-fashioned, but I always thought the inside of a home should be cooler than the outside in summer? It’s a shame the energy rating system doesn’t reflect the reality of these finished homes. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the star rating system—especially when three, four, or even five of those stars seem to be little more than a marketing gimmick. Or, simply add another building inspection to check off the insulation install.
On one hand, the government is celebrating its environmental progress, but the reality on the ground paints a different picture. Homeowners are the ones who ultimately suffer, enduring higher energy costs and discomfort for years to come.
I’ll be conducting a full blower door test and thermal imaging report on this property soon, as well as investigating its compliance and insulation. Stay tuned for updates—if you can handle the heat!

01/09/2024

An incense stick is an affordable and simple tool for detecting air leaks, allowing anyone to participate in leak detection without the need for expensive smoke machines.
However, incense sticks have some limitations. They generate smoke by burning, which causes the smoke to rise quickly due to the heat's buoyancy. This makes it impossible to keep the smoke still, which is possible to do with many fog machines. If you’re trying to detect a leak at a lower level, such as near the floor, an incense stick might not be ideal since the smoke will rise above the potential leak.
In the video, I demonstrate how to detect air leaks around a door lock. All door locks I've observed exhibit some minor leakage. These leaks are minimal and do not significantly impact the final results of a blower door test.
To detect very small leaks using an incense stick, it is helpful to watch the glowing end of the stick rather than the smoke itself, as the glow can indicate the presence of a draft more subtly than the smoke.

01/09/2024

Blower door testing on a house in Wagga for Gunaru, aiming for Passive House certification, which means a much higher level of air-tightness than the average house.
The building wraps were meticulously installed being visibly neat, a great indicator that the final result will be a good one.
The final result was an impressive 0.49 ACH@50Pa, comfortably below the target of 0.6 ACH@50Pa.
Check out the photo of the blower door in use inside the house. Ring D is in use, only one ring size smaller exists.
When performing blower door tests on airtight homes, windy conditions can significantly affect the results. A minor breeze can cause the pressure differential to fluctuate, potentially invalidating the final measurement. For certification purposes, results must be at least 98% accurate, making calm weather conditions critical during testing.

18/08/2024

According to the 2022 National Construction Code, a Class 4 building wrap is required for structures in climate zones 6, 7, and 8. This is a positive development, as Class 4 wraps offer the highest vapour permeability, allowing moisture vapour to pass through with minimal resistance, yet keeping the water out.

However, not all Class 4 wraps are created equal. In the two videos provided, you can see an Ametalin building wrap at the pre-sheeting stage. It’s clearly suffering from UV degradation, though it’s unclear how long it has been exposed to the elements.

The Ametalin wrap costs approximately $2.20 per square metre and is code compliant. Stepping up in quality, the Bradford building wrap is priced around $3.60 per square metre. At the top tier, the Pro Clima Extasana wrap costs about $5 per square metre and boasts a UV resistance of 180 days. In fact, I’ve seen it withstand over a year of sun exposure during the Covid period with no apparent issues.

Considering the differences in price and long-term performance, it may be worthwhile to discuss with your builder the option of investing a bit more in a higher-quality wrap. Think of it as a long-term investment in the durability of your building.

Air leakage under the skirting board is a common issue during depressurisation, even when the external membrane is fully...
05/08/2024

Air leakage under the skirting board is a common issue during depressurisation, even when the external membrane is fully taped and sealed to the top plate and the concrete slab. This is also true in new homes.
This occurs because there is always a gap between the Gyprock and timber stud-work, allowing air to pass from the roof space, through the insulation, and out at the base of the skirting board. Air will also travel through holes in the top plates where electrical wires pass through.
Sealing the skirting board to the floor can eliminate drafts. However, if a floating floor is installed, as in the photo, sealing becomes more challenging. A 10mm gap is typically left between the floor and the base of the Gyprock to prevent wall sheet buckling, as the stud-work may dry out and cause the Gyprock to compress against the floor.
Is this a problem?
Well, it depends how bad it is and how leaky the rest of the house is.
The photo shown is from a new house, with an air rate change of just over 5 air exchanges per hour (ACH). If the ACH is below 5 then Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV)is required to be installed.

Cavity sliding doors are notoriously poor in terms of airtightness and often the most significant source of air leakage ...
03/07/2024

Cavity sliding doors are notoriously poor in terms of airtightness and often the most significant source of air leakage in a home. This is due to the design of the door frame, which includes metal tracks and openings at the head track and down the sides, making it inherently leaky. Despite assumptions that plasterboard installed against the frame and stud wall would limit air passage, a slight gap invariably exists between the plasterboard and the cavity slider frame or studwork. This gap acts as a conduit for air leakage, connecting directly to the roof space.
The attached video demonstrates the leakiness of a cavity slider door. The draft is generated by the blower door depressurising the building at 50Pa.
However, cavity sliding door units can be easily made airtight with minimal effort or cost during installation. A simple solution is to apply a bead of silicone or similar sealant around the stud frame immediately before installing the plasterboard. For a detailed description, refer to the attached cavity sliding door air leak fix brochure.

Blower door testing in Pearce.
03/07/2024

Blower door testing in Pearce.

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Kambah
Kambah, ACT
2902

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+61466583569

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