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Airtightness · 15
Top 5 Building Mistakes That Ruin Home Comfort
Comfort is decided long before the air conditioner. The five envelope mistakes — air leakage, poor insulation, thermal bridging, wrong windows and no ventilation — that undermine new homes for decades.
What Makes a House Airtight?
The continuous air barrier explained — floor, walls, roof, windows, membranes, tapes and penetrations — and how it's all verified with a blower door test.
Preparing for a Blower Door Test
The definitive Australian checklist for builders and homeowners — what to do, what to leave alone, and a printable version.
Can You Fail a Blower Door Test?
There's no universal pass mark — it depends on your target. How targets are set, common leak areas, and what happens if you miss one.
How to Pass a Blower Door Test
A good result is built, not tested for. The air barrier concept, construction sequencing and the details that decide the result.
Why Every New Home Should Have a Blower Door Test
Not just for Passive House — the case for measuring airtightness on any new build, and what happens if you don't.
How Airtight Is the Average Australian Home?
CSIRO's 2024 study tested 233 new homes with a blower door. What it found, how new builds compare to older homes, and where your home might sit.
10 Air Sealing Details That Are Easy During Construction (But Expensive to Fix Later)
For builders and owner-builders: the specific details — service penetrations, top plates, windows, rangehood ducts — to seal before plaster goes on.
Common Air Leaks Found During Blower Door Testing
Real field photos from South Australian tests: the eight places air leakage turns up most — sliding doors, exhaust fans, ceiling hatches, service penetrations and more.
What Is ACH50?
The number every airtightness test comes back to. What it means, how it's measured, typical Australian results and the Passive House target.
Why Airtight Homes Need Ventilation
Airtightness and ventilation aren't competing goals — they're two halves of the same job. What happens without ventilation, and how MVHR solves it.
NCC 2022 Ventilation & Airtightness for SA Homes
The authoritative South Australian pillar: SA commencement dates (modern homes provisions from 1 October 2024), the 5 ACH50 trigger, condensation rules and compliance pathways.
High-Performance Homes
What does a high-performance home actually mean? The principles, systems and building science behind homes that perform better for less energy.
Heating & Cooling for Passive Houses and High-Performance Homes
Choosing the right system: why size matters more than type, split systems vs bulkheads vs ducted vs hydronic, and why evaporative cooling doesn't suit an airtight home.
What Is a Blower Door Test?
How airtightness is measured, how a test is carried out, and what the result actually tells you about your building envelope.
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Blower Door Testing