Lynn Haven, Bay County
Blower Door Testing in Lynn Haven, Florida
Air leakage testing for newly built houses in Lynn Haven, booked for the point the shell is complete.
Booking a blower door test in Lynn Haven
New houses going up in Lynn Haven as part of its rebuilding each need the air leakage test the Florida energy code sets. Big Bend Services, Inc. runs that blower door test for builders and owners in ZIP code 32444.
Call (850) 819-6031, Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or send the form.
Timing
The point in the build when a Lynn Haven house is ready
The code allows the test once every opening through the building thermal envelope has been made. The envelope is the boundary around the heated and cooled rooms: the outside walls, the ceiling below the attic and the floor.
Windows and doors set
Every window and exterior door is in its opening, so the walls are closed.
Plumbing through the shell
Drains, supply lines and roof vents are run wherever they leave the heated space.
Wiring through the shell
The electric service, any gas line and the cable or phone lines are in, along with the wiring to outside fixtures.
Ducts and exhaust run
Duct runs, the range hood duct and the dryer vent pass out through the wall or roof.
Ceiling closed
The ceiling under the attic is on, with the attic access in and able to shut.
What can still be unfinished
Paint, flooring, trim, cabinets and countertops have no effect on the reading, so the test does not wait for them. Booking at shell completion rather than at the end of the build leaves the finish work as a cushion, with time for corrections before the house is handed over. Booking before the last opening is made has the opposite problem: a vent or pipe added afterward is left out of the reading.
On the day
How a Lynn Haven house is left for the test
A fan fitted in an exterior doorway holds the house at the test pressure while the leakage is measured, and the code sets how the house is left while it runs.
Windows and outside doors
Closed, but not sealed or taped.
Fireplace and stove
Doors closed.
Dampers
Exhaust, intake and flue dampers all closed.
Rooms
Interior doors open where they have been hung.
Air conditioning and heat
Switched off, with the supply and return registers fully open where installed.
Over the limit
If a Lynn Haven house reads over the limit
For new houses, the limit is 7 air changes per hour at 50 pascals, from section R402.4.1.2 of the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition (2023). All of Bay County is in Climate Zone 2, where that limit applies.
Corrected, then retested
A house that reads higher has its leaks corrected, and the retest waits until every correction is finished.
Same setup
The retest uses the same test-day conditions, so the two numbers compare directly.
A new date
Call the office when the corrections are done and a retest date is set.
Only that house
On a builder's list, a high reading on one house does not change the results of the others.
Where air gets through
Openings to close before the first test
Gaps are easier to close before insulation and trim make them hard to reach.
Recessed lights
Each can light set into the ceiling below the attic is an opening unless the fixture is built to be airtight and sealed to the drywall.
Duct boots
Where a supply duct meets the ceiling or floor, the gap between the boot and the drywall leads into the attic or the space below.
Top plates
Wires and pipes that rise through the top of a wall into the attic leave a gap around each one.
Tub and shower drains
The opening cut in the floor under a tub drain is easy to miss once the tub is set.
Bath fan housings
The edge between each fan housing and the ceiling drywall needs to be closed.
Air handler closet
A closet framed around the air handler, with a return built into it, can open into the attic or the walls beside it.
Window and door frames
The space between each frame and its rough opening, before casing covers it.
Soffits over the cabinets
A framed soffit above the kitchen cabinets can open straight into the attic.
Additions to existing Lynn Haven houses
Not every project needs the test. The code makes an exception for additions and alterations that make up less than 85 percent of the building shell, so a new room or a remodel that stays under that share is not required to be tested. A project at or above that share is tested like a new house. Your building official decides where a project lands.
The rest of the house
Other work on a new Lynn Haven house
The same office books other services for new houses, and they can be arranged for the same Lynn Haven address.
Gutters
Seamless gutters are scheduled around the builder, once the roof and fascia are finished.
Garage door
A new garage door is measured to the opening, with a new opener if you want one.
Wire shelving
Closets, the pantry and the laundry room can be shelved before move-in, supplied and installed by us.
What to send for a Lynn Haven booking
Send the address, the permit number, the date the shell will be complete and the name of whoever can open the house. A builder can send several Lynn Haven houses together, and each is booked for its own date. Bookings go through our office at 511 S Highway 71 in Wewahitchka, and if the shell falls behind, call and a new date is set.
Same county
Blower door tests in other Bay County towns
What to expect
From booking to result in Lynn Haven
- 1
Send the build details
Address, permit number and when the house will be ready.
- 2
Test booked
We give you a date for the test.
- 3
Test run
The house is tested once it is ready.
- 4
After a failed test
Corrections are made and the house is tested again.
Does a metal roof change the test?
Does a house with spray foam in the walls still need the test?
Is a reading just above 7 close enough?
Can gutters and the garage door go on after the test?
Do outdoor outlets and porch lights count as openings?
Can one house be retested more than once?
Get a quote
Request a Blower Door Test in Lynn Haven
Send the Lynn Haven address and the date the shell will be complete.
