ThermalWise completed a thermographic evaluation and blower door testing of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, NS.  

ThermalWise conducted quantitative air leakage testing in general accordance with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) Air Leakage Test Protocol for Building Envelopes. This protocol is widely referenced as the standard for whole building air leakage testing of large building envelopes. It is underpinned by ASTM E779. The protocol includes testing under positive and negative pressure and reporting the building envelope’s air leakage as a normalized reading at 75 Pa (CFM@75Pa/ft2), which is typical for larger buildings. This protocol includes supplying the air leakage curve equation, which allows for calculating the leakage of the building at any pressure difference. ThermalWise provided ACH@50Pa as well as m3/hr@50Pa results.

The protocol also references determining pathways of air leakage using ASTM E1186. ThermalWise completed this using thermal imaging of the building under positive and negative pressurization. ThermalWise also used thermal imaging to identify thermal bridges and other defects in the building envelope. 

ThermalWise completed air tightness testing and air leakage site detection using thermographic imaging at two stages of construction. The first stage was conducted once all building envelope components were installed. The second stage was performed after all building components were in place and construction completed.

 General Air Tightness Testing Procedure (based on subsection 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 of section 07 27 00): the mean value of the air leakage flow through the exterior envelope for a negative and positive pressurization air leakage test must not exceed 0.25 CFM/ft2 @75Pa. Air leakage testing is required to be performed in general accordance with ASTM E779 with additional requirements included in the construction specification. 

 Building Air Leakage Site Detection: thermography-based air leakage site detection took place in conjunction with the air leakage testing for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 testing. This testing was performed in general accordance with ASTM 1186.