ᐅ What can a blower door test reveal? Which house performance values are measured?
Created on: 16 Feb 2012 09:30
K
kako78
Hello everyone!
We have built a prefabricated house and are moving in this week. A few weeks ago, we noticed that the right side of the attic was damp. We reported this to the prefab company, and were told that “the issue had been fixed.” Afterwards, the blower door test was conducted. We received a report (n50=1.0) and confirmation that the test was successful. However, we later found out that the problem in the attic had not been resolved (only the wet insulation wool was replaced, but the cause was not fixed), and now we already have mold on the wooden beams.
My question is: shouldn’t this have been detected during the blower door test? Were we just shown a blower door test as a formality, or is it true that openings in the vapor barrier cannot be detected with this test? I had thought that this was exactly what a blower door test is for???
Thank you very much for any information regarding this topic!
Katrin
We have built a prefabricated house and are moving in this week. A few weeks ago, we noticed that the right side of the attic was damp. We reported this to the prefab company, and were told that “the issue had been fixed.” Afterwards, the blower door test was conducted. We received a report (n50=1.0) and confirmation that the test was successful. However, we later found out that the problem in the attic had not been resolved (only the wet insulation wool was replaced, but the cause was not fixed), and now we already have mold on the wooden beams.
My question is: shouldn’t this have been detected during the blower door test? Were we just shown a blower door test as a formality, or is it true that openings in the vapor barrier cannot be detected with this test? I had thought that this was exactly what a blower door test is for???
Thank you very much for any information regarding this topic!
Katrin
H
Häuslebauer4029 Feb 2012 13:40You’re welcome, Bauexperte.
One should always stick to the truth. There’s no point in exaggerating if it’s not warranted, and even a frustrated homeowner should try to remain somewhat objective despite all difficulties. Often, it helps to switch from an emotional mindset back to logical thinking.
Although I have to say that even the builder, while confident in his work, seemed relieved to have a small burden lifted.
To be fair, I also made it clear to the experts right from the start that my intention was not to badmouth the builder by listing every possible defect—which you can always find if you want to, especially when applying every single standard (DIN) to the letter—but rather to find a joint solution to get the project moving again as quickly as possible.
And I am certainly the last person not willing to compromise if it helps progress the work.
For example, one corner of the drywall work in the dormer was not done properly; that is, the corner joint is simply not perfectly aligned. This is purely a cosmetic flaw. Independently of the fact that finishing the dormer interior at the entrance area (hip roof with a gallery at the entrance) is already challenging for the drywall installers, even the managing director of the builder said yesterday that the panels in that corner should be taken down and redone.
I then replied that they should leave it as is. The wall won’t be painted with a contrasting color; if everything is white, nobody will notice it anymore, and in six months, no one will even look there. So what would be the point, aside from causing delays…
Or take the misplanning of the utility room, which perhaps few homeowners would have tolerated. The architect planned the utility room to accommodate the heating system, washing machine, dryer, and freezer. In reality, the heating system protrudes about 25 cm (10 inches) further into the room than planned, and the freezer door no longer opens fully. During an on-site meeting, everyone was puzzled and considering potential solutions. Suggestions ranged from rotating the already installed heating system to moving a wall.
I then said, “Why don’t you just install two extra power outlets free of charge in the storage room, and we’ll put the freezer there?” You could hear the relief from everyone present.
It doesn’t matter if the freezer is on the ground floor or the upper floor. I’m already going down to the basement when I need something from a freezer. We don’t go there every day anyway.
Maybe these examples and the following advice will be helpful to other homeowners:
Don’t be too willing to compromise when it comes to essentials like structural integrity and professional workmanship, but be more lenient regarding minor issues. This saves time and spares a great deal of stress.
Still, I remain a little annoyed. I would have found it helpful if the planners/architects of the builder had informed me at the beginning that winter construction sites often experience moisture problems. Then we could have simply started in March or April, and that would have been fine. That wouldn’t have bothered me at all.
But apparently, selling the house was the priority, and they probably (without basis) feared that I might reconsider by then. I wouldn’t have had any problem signing the contract before winter and starting construction in March.
But it is what it is now, and hopefully we will make the best of it.
Kind regards
One should always stick to the truth. There’s no point in exaggerating if it’s not warranted, and even a frustrated homeowner should try to remain somewhat objective despite all difficulties. Often, it helps to switch from an emotional mindset back to logical thinking.
Although I have to say that even the builder, while confident in his work, seemed relieved to have a small burden lifted.
To be fair, I also made it clear to the experts right from the start that my intention was not to badmouth the builder by listing every possible defect—which you can always find if you want to, especially when applying every single standard (DIN) to the letter—but rather to find a joint solution to get the project moving again as quickly as possible.
And I am certainly the last person not willing to compromise if it helps progress the work.
For example, one corner of the drywall work in the dormer was not done properly; that is, the corner joint is simply not perfectly aligned. This is purely a cosmetic flaw. Independently of the fact that finishing the dormer interior at the entrance area (hip roof with a gallery at the entrance) is already challenging for the drywall installers, even the managing director of the builder said yesterday that the panels in that corner should be taken down and redone.
I then replied that they should leave it as is. The wall won’t be painted with a contrasting color; if everything is white, nobody will notice it anymore, and in six months, no one will even look there. So what would be the point, aside from causing delays…
Or take the misplanning of the utility room, which perhaps few homeowners would have tolerated. The architect planned the utility room to accommodate the heating system, washing machine, dryer, and freezer. In reality, the heating system protrudes about 25 cm (10 inches) further into the room than planned, and the freezer door no longer opens fully. During an on-site meeting, everyone was puzzled and considering potential solutions. Suggestions ranged from rotating the already installed heating system to moving a wall.
I then said, “Why don’t you just install two extra power outlets free of charge in the storage room, and we’ll put the freezer there?” You could hear the relief from everyone present.
It doesn’t matter if the freezer is on the ground floor or the upper floor. I’m already going down to the basement when I need something from a freezer. We don’t go there every day anyway.
Maybe these examples and the following advice will be helpful to other homeowners:
Don’t be too willing to compromise when it comes to essentials like structural integrity and professional workmanship, but be more lenient regarding minor issues. This saves time and spares a great deal of stress.
Still, I remain a little annoyed. I would have found it helpful if the planners/architects of the builder had informed me at the beginning that winter construction sites often experience moisture problems. Then we could have simply started in March or April, and that would have been fine. That wouldn’t have bothered me at all.
But apparently, selling the house was the priority, and they probably (without basis) feared that I might reconsider by then. I wouldn’t have had any problem signing the contract before winter and starting construction in March.
But it is what it is now, and hopefully we will make the best of it.
Kind regards
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