Make the house airtight when you renovate, and have it measured
Cracks and joints between building parts let warm air escape; sealing them during a renovation, and checking with a recognised airtightness test, only works together with controlled ventilation.
Flanders
Sources checked on .
Warm air escapes through cracks, gaps and especially the joints where building parts meet, such as between a window frame and the wall, or a roof and a wall. That causes draughts, heat loss, condensation and mould, even in a well-insulated house. A renovation, when walls and roofs are open, is the moment to make those joints airtight.
Airtightness can be measured, by a tester recognised by SKH or BCCA. A measurement carried out under the official quality framework can be used in the EPB calculation, where good airtightness lowers the E-level (E-peil).
An airtight house needs controlled ventilation to keep the air healthy and avoid damp. Plan the two together.
Details
| Impact | Not rated · The cited sources don't give a size for this saving, so we don't guess. How we rate impact |
|---|---|
| Estimated saving | Not quantified on the source pages; air leaks cause draughts and heat loss. (confidence: low) |
| Who acts | You (owner) |
| Needs landlord's agreement | No |
| Type | Action |
| Constant or subject to change | Constant · Good practice that barely changes with new laws, prices or services. |
Do this together with
Sources
- Luchtdichtheid (in Dutch) · Woningpas (Vlaamse overheid) (official source) · checked on
- Luchtdichtheid (EPB-pedia) (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on