Airtightness testing for building damage investigations

Moisture damage in roof, wall or ceiling structures can have various causes. Water does not always enter a building from outside. Warm, humid indoor air can also pass through leaks in the building envelope, enter the structure and condense there.

Airtightness testing supports damage investigations by revealing leaks and airflow paths, helping to identify the underlying cause.

Investigating moisture systematically

When moisture damage occurs, a common question is:

Is the moisture coming from outside, or is it entering the structure from inside the building through leaks?

A BlowerDoor test creates a defined negative or positive pressure. This makes it possible to locate and document airflow and entry points. The results provide important evidence for assessing the cause of the damage.

Making leaks visible

Airtightness testing is generally combined with other air leakage detection methods.

Depending on the damage, these may include:

• Air velocity measurements
• Thermography
• Fog testing

Combining different investigation methods allows leaks to be located precisely and their effects on the building structure to be assessed.

Addressing causes rather than symptoms

In investigations of moisture damage affecting insulation or roofing underlay, airtightness testing showed that warm, humid indoor air had entered the structure through leaks and condensed there. This made it possible to identify the leaks as the cause of the moisture.

Conclusion

Airtightness testing provides valuable information about the condition of the building envelope when moisture damage is present. Combined with other methods such as thermography, air velocity measurement or fog testing, it allows leaks to be located and their causes investigated. This helps not only identify damage but also remedy it permanently.

Frequently asked questions about airtightness testing for damage investigations