Airtight my arse

[saveasteading]

46 minutes ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

id rather just fix it myself 

Understood.

I'd rather get the builder to sort it, but I'm stroppy and determined like that.

From my experience they sometimes sort it as long as you agree not to tell anyone, because bad publicity can be ruinous, esp on an ongoing development.

[Alwayslearning22]

1 hour ago, Roundtuit said:

If you've got air circulating behind the plasterboard it could be coming from anywhere, and potentially multiple leaks; service penetrations, joist ends, window reveals, poorly taped joints etc... I'd just focus on the sockets where you can feel a problem and seal them up as best you can. 

How would I go about stopping air getting out through sockets, is there any handy solutions? 
you are right I’d probably be tearing the hole house back to the studs to find those air leaks 

[Alwayslearning22]

I should add every single socket on my exterior walls leak air

I doubt this is fixable by myself without a large cost 

[Russell griffiths]

35 minutes ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

I should add every single socket on my exterior walls leak air

I doubt this is fixable by myself without a large cost 

That’s an easy fix with a can of illbruck fm 330 foam. 
Undo the socket face and put the nozzle into all the empty screw holes in the back box, squirt away and lat it dry, cut off any excess. 

[Nickfromwales]

36 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

That’s an easy fix with a can of illbruck fm 330 foam. 
Undo the socket face and put the nozzle into all the empty screw holes in the back box, squirt away and lat it dry, cut off any excess. 

That’s just bringing a knife to a gunfight though. 

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

To be honest id rather just fix it myself I wouldn’t be bothered with chasing airtight results as they probably lied anyway. 
Is my only option ripping down plasterboard on that wall and inspecting vcl? 

No. 
 

You have a very good option available to you, via AeroBarrier UK. 
 

The caveat is you’d have to buy shares in 3M for the amount of masking and taping up you’d need to do.

 

IF you 100% want to do this, then this is your only sensible route.

 

Ask them to quote, based on M2, and if you can swallow that then I’ll tell you what you’ll need to do to prep for the day of ‘the treatment’. 

[-rick-]

1 hour ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

I should add every single socket on my exterior walls leak air

I doubt this is fixable by myself without a large cost 

 

As much as dealing with the developer is on this, I feel its probably worth persuing at least a bit more. Maybe worth considering getting an independent report of what needs to be done before approaching them though, that way you have a defined list of issues and wont be fobbed off with inadequate proposed fixes.

 

I know this doesn't affect you personally but the more people complain about these issues (and cost developers in fixing the issues), the more likely developers are to take more care in future.

[Russell griffiths]

1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said:

That’s just bringing a knife to a gunfight though. 

Unless he wants to take the skirting off, then what else can he do. 

[Alwayslearning22]

Thanks all for the reply’s and suggestions. You’ve all been a great help as expected. I’ll have a look at aerobarrier also Nick I didn’t know this existed def a good option 

[Mr Punter]

With timber frame the airtight layer is often on the outside of the osb sheathing. There may also be a layer of polythene vcl just behind the plasterboard.

 

The cold air normally gets in via service holes not properly sealed. This is often extract holes, boiler flues, condense and other pipes. If you can get to these with a can of foam it may help. 

 

With the sockets you could use some of the child safety plugs.

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Unless he wants to take the skirting off, then what else can he do. 

Still only sorts any leaks behind the skirting boards, and none in the remainder of the fabric of the house.

 

Taking the skirting off and sockets out is still two knives vs a bullet.

[Redbeard]

I'd still encourage pressure on the developer, though I note that you said at the start of the thread that he was not particularly 'forthcoming'. 

[Gone West]

I would want to know what the actual air tightness is now. So I would have a test done, and then you know what you are working with. If it's really bad you might want to react differently.

[Russell griffiths]

Doesn’t it need to score below 8 for building regs. 
I believe to get as bad as an 8 you could have a window open. 
I cannot see the developer doing anything, and I don’t believe they have to test every house anyway, so he will have a good excuse for it being poor anyway. 

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Gone West said:

I would want to know what the actual air tightness is now. So I would have a test done, and then you know what you are working with.

If the cost is low to do so, then yes.

[SteamyTea]

The problem with a 'plasterboard tent' is not just the extra heating cost, it can cause damage to the frame because of uncontrolled condensation.

So while it may technically pass the air test, it is still faulty.

[saveasteading]

13 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

If the cost is low to do so, then yes.

I'm out of touch with the test costs.

But another option would be an Epc assessor, who could simply feel the draught and write ' from my experience I expect a rating of...x of worse.

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

I'm out of touch with the test costs.

But another option would be an Epc assessor, who could simply feel the draught and write ' from my experience I expect a rating of...x of worse.

I agree there are epc assessors out there with a huge amount of general and 'eco' nous. I also know there is at least one who cannot recognise EWI. Yes, his certifying body was as nonplussed as me. I wouldn't have asked him to give any opinion on air-tightness and I am not sure that the (basic) training equips them. 

 

Some of the air-tightness testers I know only do it with a 'blower-door and thermography package', but I would guess a 'pressurise (or de-pressurise) and go' person might do it for £400 or less. Any members with recent experience?

[Russell griffiths]

My recent one was £250, but it was cheap as it was a second test and they knew  everything was ok because the first test was below passive house standard. 
I would expect £400 for a test and then some exploration.