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Airtightness and weathertightness - what to request on window schedule?


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Is there a standard way to compare airtightness of windows across suppliers? I've seen BS EN 1026:2016 and BS EN 12207:2016 so do we request their certification for each design of window / patio door?  I want to make sure we end up with something substantially more airtight - and watertight in driving rain - and guess it's an area some suppliers will cut corners.

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you could narrow down your search to only passivhaus certified windows. at least then you know that the airtightness has been tested and is up to spec. @craig is our window expert. he might be able to shed some light on the subject. also worth speaking to him as he supplies very good quality doors that a few on here have purchased. 

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To compare is to basically refer to each of the products being offered and then cross-reference them. There is not specific formula or website etc, that would do that but in essence, what you're looking for is the following.

 

Air Permeability: EN 1026, EN 12207

Water Tightness: EN 1027, EN 12208

Wind Resistance: EN 1221, EN 12210

Wind Load (resistance to frame deflection): EN 1221, EN 12210

 

To help decipher the documents you'll no doubt receive or have, the tables below should help. What I recommend is in exposed locations, where wind and driving rain can be above average, doors would be outward opening, and windows would always have a static mullion in the centre (no French door style windows). Aluminium inline sliding doors in exposed locations should be reviewed carefully as they are generally brush seals and not gasket seal.

 

Wind Class

Comparison wind load Pa= N/m2

Wind Speed m/s

Wind Speed km/h

Beaufort

0

0

0

0

0

1

300

22

80

9

2

450

27

100

10

3

700

34

120

12

4

1000

41

150

13

 

Wind Speed

Wind Load

Beaufort Scale*

m/s

km/h

mph

Pa

kN/m2

Number

Description

0,5

2

1

0,2

0,000

0

Calm

1

4

2

0,6

0,001

1

Light air

2

7

4

2,5

0,003

2

Light breeze

3

11

7

5,6

0,006

2

Light breeze

4

14

9

10,0

0,010

3

Gentle breeze

5

18

11

15,6

0,016

3

Gentle breeze

6

22

13

22,5

0,023

4

Moderate breeze

7

25

16

30,6

0,031

4

Moderate breeze

8

29

18

40,0

0,040

4

Moderate breeze

9

32

20

50,6

0,051

5

Fresh breeze

10

36

22

62,5

0,063

5

Fresh breeze

11

40

25

75,6

0,076

6

Strong breeze

12

43

27

90,0

0,090

6

Strong breeze

13

47

29

105,6

0,106

6

Strong breeze

14

50

31

122,5

0,123

6

Strong breeze

15

54

34

140,6

0,141

7

Near gale

16

58

36

160,0

0,160

7

Near gale

17

61

38

180,6

0,181

7

Near gale

18

65

40

202,5

0,203

8

Gale

19

68

42

225,6

0,226

8

Gale

20

72

45

250,0

0,250

8

Gale

21

76

47

275,6

0,276

9

Strong gale

22

79

49

302,5

0,303

9

Strong gale

23

83

51

330,6

0,331

9

Strong gale

24

86

54

360,0

0,360

9

Strong gale

25

90

56

390,6

0,391

10

Storm

26

94

58

422,5

0,423

10

Storm

27

97

60

455,6

0,456

10

Storm

28

101

63

490,0

0,490

10

Storm

29

104

65

525,6

0,526

11

Violent storm

30

108

67

562,5

0,563

11

Violent storm

31

112

69

600,6

0,601

11

Violent storm

32

115

72

640,0

0,640

11

Violent storm

33

119

74

680,6

0,681

12

Hurricane

34

122

76

722,5

0,723

12

Hurricane

35

126

78

765,6

0,766

12

Hurricane

36

130

80

810,0

0,810

12

Hurricane

37

133

83

855,6

0,856

12

Hurricane

38

137

85

902,5

0,903

12

Hurricane

39

140

87

950,6

0,951

12

Hurricane

40

144

89

1000,0

1,000

12

Hurricane

41

148

92

1050,6

1,051

12

Hurricane

42

151

94

1102,5

1,103

12

Hurricane

43

155

96

1155,6

1,156

12

Hurricane

44

158

98

1210,0

1,210

12

Hurricane

45

162

101

1265,6

1,266

12

Hurricane

46

166

103

1322,5

1,323

12

Hurricane

47

169

105

1380,6

1,381

12

Hurricane

48

173

107

1440,0

1,440

12

Hurricane

49

176

110

1500,6

1,501

12

Hurricane

50

180

112

1562,5

1,563

12

Hurricane

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Very interesting @craig .

If you'd have known when you sold us your windows  that after a few years, our slider (when shut but not locked) would whistle Colonel Bogey when the wind is from SW by S, I bet you would have charged us more eh? . Any chance of a different tune - anything by that famous Scottish duo the Complainers - I would Walk 500 miles  - or maybe Blow The Wind Southerly by that  Scottish  bird with the big bust. 

 

Please?

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  • 1 month later...

Be very careful and if possible very specific in your needs and requirements with regard to the products that any window supplier/builder advocates on using or suggests using around the windows and doors to maintain an air tight and/or watertight seal, we took the no real notice as to what product was going to be used and relied on the company to specify the correct product and what was used turned out to be totally incorrect and of no use to do what was the intention of providing an airtight seal, what was used was a Correx rubberised self adhesive sealing layer on a roll but it turned out that a rubberised product was a big no no from the plasterer who informed us it should have been a 'non woven' product that would allow plaster to actually adhere to the product where the rubberised one will stick to but will not last.

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