What is building air leakage?

Air Leakage (or infiltration) is the flow of outside air into and out of a building.It is not planned by the designers and is due to imperfections in the building ‘envelope’ (or outer skin).

It will typically take place through:

• joints, gaps and cracks in the construction
• gaps created where the structure penetrates the outer skin of the building
• cracks around door and window openings
• gaps where services enter the building

Air leakage will have detrimental effects on the buildings thermal performance, comfort levels and energy efficiency.