Blower door testing
New Construction Blower Door Testing in the Florida Panhandle
Blower door tests on new homes for builders, superintendents and owner-builders across the Florida Panhandle.
Booking the test as a step in the build
The test is tied to the stage the house has reached, not to a date on the calendar, so booking starts from when the house will be ready.
Call (850) 819-6031, Monday to Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or send the form with the address, the permit number and the ready date.
When to book
The stage the house needs to reach
The code allows the test any time after every opening through the shell has been made. Book it once the last pipe, wire, vent and duct through the outer walls and ceiling is in.
Plumbing
Drain and vent pipes through the floor, walls and roof, and supply lines to outside hose bibs.
Electrical
Wiring to outside lights and outlets, the service entrance, and boxes set in exterior walls and ceilings.
Heating and cooling
Duct runs into the attic, the supply and return boots cut into ceilings and floors, the refrigerant lines to the outdoor unit, and the condensate line.
Gas lines and flues
A gas line, or a flue for a water heater or fireplace, passing through a wall or the roof.
Fans and vents
Bath and kitchen exhaust fans, the dryer vent and any fresh air intake.
Ceiling fixtures
Recessed lights and electrical boxes cut into ceilings below the attic, in place with their housings.
Raised floors
Pipes and ducts through the subfloor on a house built over a crawl space.
Attic access
The attic hatch or pull-down stair installed in its frame.
Windows and exterior doors
All of them hung and able to latch, since the test is run with them closed.
Booking ahead leaves time for a retest
If the test is the last thing on the schedule, a high reading holds up the end of the job while leaks are corrected and the house is tested again. Booking ahead of your last steps leaves time for that without pushing back the finish.
Finishes do not change the reading. Paint, flooring, trim, cabinets and countertops can still be going in on test day, so the test can sit earlier in the schedule than the final clean. If the ready date slips, call and a new test date is set. A retest also needs the house set up in the test conditions again.
Booking
What to send when you book
For a group of houses, a list with one line per house is enough.
The address
Where the house is, with the lot number if a street address has not been assigned yet.
The permit number
The building permit for that house.
The ready date
When the last opening through the shell will be made.
Who to call on site
The superintendent, or whoever handles access to the house.
Builders and owner-builders
Several houses, custom homes and owner-built houses
Several houses
Each one is tested on its own and gets its own result, so one house reading high does not change the result of the next.
Different ready dates
If the houses will be ready on different days, the test dates follow the houses.
Spec houses and models
A spec house or a model home is booked like any other, with its own ready date, whether or not it has sold.
Owner-builders
An owner building their own house sends the same details a builder does.
Telling the trades about the test date
Put the test on the schedule the trades see. A trade that plans to cut a late opening through the shell for a line or a vent needs to do it before the test, not after, or the reading will not include it.
On the day, the heating and cooling stays off and the exterior doors and windows stay shut while the fan runs. Crews working inside should know that before they arrive, and one exterior doorway should be kept clear of materials for the fan and its frame.
Where we work
Counties where we test new homes
New construction testing is available in each of these counties.
What to expect
What happens on test day and after
- 1
Set-up
The house is checked against the test-day list, and a fan is fitted in an exterior doorway.
- 2
Test run
The fan holds the house at the test pressure while the air leakage is measured.
- 3
Result
You get the reading for that house.
- 4
If it is over
The leaks are corrected, and the house is tested again under the same conditions.
Can the test be done before the drywall is up?
Does the attic insulation need to be finished first?
Does the door from the garage into the house need to be hung?
Can one call book houses in different counties?
What do we get after the test?
Get a quote
Request a New Construction Blower Door Test
Send the address, permit number and ready date for each house, and the office will follow up.
