Noma, Holmes County
Blower Door Testing in Noma, Florida
Timing the air leakage test on a new Noma house, and what the code says about additions.
Blower door tests for new houses in Noma
Big Bend Services, Inc. runs the Florida energy code air leakage test on newly built houses in Noma, in Holmes County. The test can be booked any time after every opening through the shell has been made.
Call (850) 819-6031, Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or send the form on this page.
When to book
The point when a Noma house can be tested
Roof
Plumbing vent stacks, any flue, and every fan or hood duct that exits through the roof.
Ceiling
The attic hatch or pull-down stair, recessed lights, fan housings and the boots where ducts meet the ceiling.
Walls
Windows, exterior doors and the electric service.
Floor
Drain and supply lines coming up through the slab or the subfloor.
Too early, on time and too late
Before the last opening is made, the house still has gaps that will change once the remaining trades finish, so a reading taken then would not describe the finished shell.
A test held off until just before move-in leaves little room to correct leaks if the reading is over the limit. The stretch to aim for sits between the two: the shell complete, the finish trades still working inside.
Late openings
Openings that can come near the end
A few openings through the shell can be made after the walls and ceiling look finished.
The range hood
A hood that vents outside needs its duct cut through the wall or roof, and that can wait for the cabinets.
The dryer vent
The opening through the outside wall and the hood on the outside face.
Porch lights and outdoor outlets
Each box on an outside wall stays open until it is set and the fixture is on.
Low-voltage wiring
Cable, internet, camera and alarm lines pulled in from outside.
The outdoor unit hookup
Refrigerant lines and the condensate drain that pass out to the air conditioning unit.
The date
What moves the test date and what does not
A window or door still on order
Moves it. The shell is not closed until every opening in the walls is filled.
A trade still to cut through
Moves it.
Finishes still under way
Does not move it. Painting, flooring, trim and cabinets can carry on.
Appliances not delivered
Does not move it, as long as any vent they need has already been run outside.
Site work outside
Does not move it. The driveway, grading and planting are outside the house.
Booking
What to send for a Noma house
Noma tests are booked through our office at 511 S Highway 71 in Wewahitchka.
The street address
Where the house stands.
The permit number
The building permit for the house.
The ready date
The day the last opening through the shell will be made.
The site contact
The name and phone number of whoever we should reach about access.
If the house is not ready on the day
If the house will not have its last opening made by the date you gave, call the office and a new test date is set.
The same goes for a retest. Book it for the day every correction will be finished, and move it the same way if that work runs long.
Additions
Additions and remodels on an existing Noma house
Section R402.4.1.2 of the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition (2023), makes an exception for additions and alterations that are less than 85 percent of the building thermal envelope.
What the percentage compares
The new work set against the envelope of the whole building: walls, ceiling and floor around the heated and cooled rooms.
Where it leaves you
At 85 percent or more, the project is tested like a new house.
Who confirms it
The building official for your project decides whether the exception fits.
Booking a test that applies
Say the project is an addition or remodel when you book.
The test
What happens when the fan runs
A fan in a doorway
The fan is fitted into an exterior doorway, sealed to the frame so all its air passes through it.
A set pressure
It holds the house at 50 pascals against the outdoors.
A measured airflow
The air it moves to keep that pressure is the leakage, turned into air changes per hour for the reading.
Test day
How the house is left for the test
The code sets the conditions, whether the house is new or an addition that needs the test.
Outside openings
Exterior windows and doors closed but not sealed.
Fire and flues
Fireplace and stove doors closed, and exhaust, intake and flue dampers shut.
Inside
Interior doors open where they are installed, and heating and cooling equipment off.
Registers
Supply and return registers fully open where they are installed.
The limit and a retest
Holmes County is in Climate Zone 2, and the limit for a new house there, under section R402.4.1.2, is 7 air changes per hour at 50 pascals. If the reading is over, the leaks are corrected and the house is tested again.
You get the reading after each test. It is one figure for the whole shell and does not say where the air got in, so finding the gaps is part of correcting them.
Same county
Blower door testing in other towns in this county
What to expect
Booking a Noma test
- 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.
Can the test be run before the drywall is up?
Does closing in a porch count as an addition?
Does a new house replacing an old one on the same lot need the test?
Who can book a test for a Noma house?
Does the attic need to be insulated before the test?
What does the limit of 7 mean in airflow?
Get a quote
Request a Blower Door Test in Noma
Use the form for a new Noma house or an addition that needs the test, and the office will follow up about the date.
