Do i need airtightness tape around windows?

bargain hunt

Hey guys,am building a bungalow and have upgraded the windows to triple glaze with insulated frames.Builder said they will be sealed with expanding foam?Wonderin should I seal them with tape or is that only for timber frame houses.Also is it easy to aplly or would i need a company to do it?Any help would be appreciated?

sydthebeat

unless they are using the expensive "air tight" expanding foam.. see here
then yes you should use the tapes to seal the windows to the blockwork.

MicktheMan

You will need to tape the windows as expanding foam is not airtight.

What's your air tightness target?

bargain hunt

Haven't a clue Mick,all i know is the house I'm renting now the curtins blow whenever there's a breeze so as far away from that as possible.

Hair's Pam

bargain hunt wrote: »

Haven't a clue Mick,all i know is the house I'm renting now the curtins blow whenever there's a breeze so as far away from that as possible.

Ha magic.

Not to far off that stage
Our self. Block layers started rising walls today. We went with a 325 wide wall which consists of 100m block 120m full fill insulation board n 100m block again. Trying to find if it's worth closing cavitys and what product to use to do so. Also hear about some tape we can use to seal windows etc. it's a self build so learning as we go. We went with underfloor heating with 120 mm underfloor insulation we have it in 8 zones in house. House is 2300sq bungalow. We're also fitting 4 solar panels, a multi energy water tank, stove with bk boiler and an oil boiler. Plumber recons with 4 solar panels warming water during the day and stove light in evenings we will very seldom need our oil as underfloor heating pulls water directly from multi energy tank. Which should be hot enough from solar n stove heating it.

BryanF

bargain hunt wrote: »

Haven't a clue Mick,all i know is the house I'm renting now the curtins blow whenever there's a breeze so as far away from that as possible.

your energy assessor SHOULD be telling you what your proposed air-tightness will be. this is relevatn to the currentPart L regs, your BER, if a ventilation system is being installed, and as you say the future breeze blowing through your house. air-tightness tape is now the norm, as is taping ALL junctions of materials, particularly in block built homes where its hard to control the wet trades.Do yourself a favour and split your air-tightness test into two test (required Building regulation) and have the first one during/just after first-fix stage so that you, your plumber,electrician, plasterer etc can see where and how air-tightness is required and how mush work is required to achieve a high standard.

Hair's Pam wrote: »

Ha magic.

Not to far off that stage
Our self.

1. Block layers started rising walls today.
2. We went with a 325 wide wall which consists of 100m block 120m full fill insulation board n 100m block again.
3. Trying to find if it's worth closing cavitys and what product to use to do so.
4. Also hear about some tape we can use to seal windows etc.
5. it's a self build so learning as we go.
6. We went with underfloor heating with 120 mm underfloor insulation
7. we have it in 8 zones in house. House is 2300sq bungalow.
8. We're also fitting 4 solar panels, a multi energy water tank, stove with bk boiler and an oil boiler.
9. Plumber recons with 4 solar panels warming water during the day and stove light in evenings we will very seldom need our oil as underfloor heating pulls water directly from multi energy tank. Which should be hot enough from solar n stove heating it.

magic is right, from your post it sounds like your about to make load of similar mistakes

1. have you considered adequate insulation and thermal bridge free detailing at the rising wall location?
2. your block layer had better be the dogs Boll... as fitting these boards precisely to ensure there are no gaps will be a challenge. and your expecting approx 0.18w/m2k wall U-value? has your BER assessor checked this suits?
3. i love this! your on-site and you don't know how your windows are going to be fitted! get your architect to draw the detail in conjunction with your window supplier considering: cavity closer, DPC, win support, removal of thermal bridges, air-tightness and so on
4. yes, its now generally accepted that taping the windows to improve air-tightness is the way to go - especially in a new build where you (or your architect) can in theory PLAN these junctions
5. ye 'learning as we go' is another way of saying: we were to cheap to pay for professional advice, drawings, details or performance specification
6. DOES this comply with current building regulations? by my calcs it doesn't! one of the biggest problem in homes with underfloor heating is a lack of adequate insulation, thought put into thermal bridge free details and air-tightness
7. that's a lot of external surface area, and a lot of zones. i just hope your BER assessor/ energy assessor has explained the need for super levels of insulation, air-tightness etc
8. ditto with above, what the BER rating or even better the expected Kwhr/m2?
9. listening to plumber say things like' should be enough', that wouldn't give me confidence - I prefer to listen to experienced energy assessors or mechanical engineer who has calcuted and considered your building fabric and kwhr/m2 heat loss figures...

MicktheMan

bargain hunt wrote: »

Haven't a clue

:eek: Oh dear.

Then who (involved in the build) does have a clue?
As BryanF says, this is now part of the regs and if it were my house I would be looking to go much farther than the regs on air tightness. Now is the time to do it right or you will, more than likely, regret it later.

bargain hunt

Permission granted in 08,architect say's regs don't apply.Don't have the budget for what ye are talkin about.Can only do the basics,money isn't there.Only reason i asked is coz no point havin triple glaze if air leaks in the edges and to be honest already have gone over budget with the triple.

sydthebeat

bargain hunt wrote: »

Permission granted in 08,architect say's regs don't apply.Don't have the budget for what ye are talkin about.Can only do the basics,money isn't there.Only reason i asked is coz no point havin triple glaze if air leaks in the edges and to be honest already have gone over budget with the triple.

forgive my abruptness but your architect is COMPLETELY wrong... so much so as id have to question his capacity.

If you are only building a bungalow NOW, you must comply with 2008 regulations because the dwelling wasnt substantially complete before 1st July 2009.

The "basics" as you call them is the lowest standard which still complies with the building regulations. It is illegal to build something which doesnt comply. Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear but you should be armed with the full facts... and your professional doesn't seem to have hold of them.

There is simply NO WAY of knowing that what you are building complies with the building regs without having a preliminary BER assessment carried out.

bargain hunt

well ya,I must get a ber test done at the end of the job and a solar panel.Sorry I asked!A builder told me I needed 3/4 inch plasterboard with insulation on the back all over the inside of the house at a price of 5k.said it was a reg,arch said i dont.anyway,don't see a point to that when it's also a reg to have a bloody 6" vent in the top cornor of every room.

sydthebeat

i really feel sorry for you having to listen to these eejits.

Yes, you need a BER certificate before you occupy the dwelling, thats completely separate to the building regulations.

The same process is used to publish a BER cert as check for regulation compliance, but these two issues are separate and individual.

Again i must stress, there is NO WAY of anyone knowing (you, builder, architect, plumber... anyone!!) that what you are building complies with the regulations until a preliminary BER assessment is carried out.

You are floundering in the dark because you dont have a proper person to point you towards the best answers.

lowkeys

Hi Op.

Air tightness tape is easy to install it is just like sellotape really.
I have had dealings with an independent air tightness assessor over the last few years in work. It is possible with careful detailing to get a really good air tightness reading without the use of any special products. Plasterboard and skimming is an airtight product so provided you get a really good seal from the window to the jamb and around the window board there should be no tape needed. You may need to put a silicone seal where the 2 materials meet and this may need to be replaced in years to come.
If i was you i would ask someone to get you some good details around windows, doors and your ventilation system and spend time working on this.

Corkblowin

This was one of my main gripes with the proposed building control amendment - that the majority of buildings in this state never have the input of a competent professional, nor are they checked for compliance with planning or building regs unless someone complains.

Add to that the number of people, including those calling themselves builders, architects or engineers who have no idea of the requirements that they are supposed to adhere to, and care even less.

Nevermind all that - the important thing according to the department is not that quality of construction improves but that we get the PI details of some poor sap to blame in the event of a problem. Joke.