Domestic Dwellings 2010 Regs
The number of dwellings that require a test will no longer depend on the method chosen for showing continuity of insulation. Testing should be carried out on three units of each dwelling type, or 50% of each type, whichever is less.
| Number of dwelling type | Number of tests to be carried out per dwelling type |
|
1 or 2 |
Test one |
|
3 to 4 |
Test two |
|
5 or more |
Test three |
Under ADL1A, for dwellings to be considered the same type, they must:-
- Be of the same generic form (Detached, semi detached, ground/mid top-floor flat, mid/end terraced, bungalow etc.)
- Have the same number of storeys
- Be of the same design air permeability
- Have similar adjacency to unheated spaces ie stairwells, integral garages etc.
- Have the same principle construction details ie timber frame or brick / block
- Have a similar number of significant penetrations
- Have envelope areas that do not differ by more than 10%
Each block of flats should be treated as a separate development, irrespective of the number of blocks on the site, so at least one ground, one mid and one top floor flat will need to be tested in every block.
For developments with one or two units, one unit must be tested (or two if they are dissimilar in arrangement or construction type). The only exceptions are if:
- The identical construction has been built by the same builder within the past 12 months and successfully passed the air tightness test.
- A poor default value of 15m3/h/m2 is accepted in the SAP 2009 calculations.
