1. Airtightness assessment using blower door measurements in a habitable attic.
- Author
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Aleixo, Kevin and Curado, António
- Subjects
SINGLE family housing ,THERMAL comfort ,INDOOR air quality ,FANS (Machinery) ,HEAT losses ,INFRARED cameras ,MICROBIOLOGICAL aerosols - Abstract
The research aims to evaluate the envelope airtightness of a habitable attic placed in a detached single-family house located in Viana do Castelo, North of Portugal, by using blower door measurements to assess the leakage airflow rate through the attic's facades at a reference pressure of 50Pa. The experimental study carries out the calculation of the parameter n
50 (volume-based indicator) therefore allowing the evaluation of the air permeability through the attic envelope. The in situ results will allow to characterize the attic ventilation rate and to design a set of retrofitting solutions to improve indoor air renovation. In the end, it is expected to find some sustainable refurbishment solutions to increase Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the attic in such a way, without, however, compromising occupants' thermal comfort. Some previous experimental studies were carried out focusing on the same case study in order to characterize indoor thermal comfort(1) and to detect envelope heat losses and missing insulation, by using infrared thermography inspection(2). The previous researches concluded that most pathology is related to lack of envelope airtightness mainly due to poor window frames sealing and high permeable construction joints. Air permeability measurements by using blower door tests can help to enable a more detailed diagnostic to detect heat losses through the attic envelope and afterward to outline some rehabilitation measures to reinforce envelope airtightness in some critical parts of the attic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2020
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