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BER new housing estate

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  • 14-11-2020 9:49am
    #1
    waterford_21
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭


    If a ew estate is built with three different house types/designs, and they are sold as A2 rated NZEB - does each individual house have to have an air-tightness test and BER. I'm getting different opinions on this. Estate agent advised that they only have to test each "house-type" and that rating then applies to all the houses? Doesn't seem right, as individual houses may not be finished with the same care and adherence to guidelines? I sent an enquiry to SEAI and they seemed to be saying that each house has to be tested and reported on individually. Just wondering now if i can insist on getting my house tested - as A2 is a high rating and not each to achieve. I already found window frames a bit loose and some vents blocked with paint etc. Bit nervous now...
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    #2
    Alf Veedersane
    Registered Users Posts: 24,559 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    waterford_21 wrote: »
    If a ew estate is built with three different house types/designs, and they are sold as A2 rated NZEB - does each individual house have to have an air-tightness test and BER. I'm getting different opinions on this. Estate agent advised that they only have to test each "house-type" and that rating then applies to all the houses? Doesn't seem right, as individual houses may not be finished with the same care and adherence to guidelines? I sent an enquiry to SEAI and they seemed to be saying that each house has to be tested and reported on individually. Just wondering now if i can insist on getting my house tested - as A2 is a high rating and not each to achieve. I already found window frames a bit loose and some vents blocked with paint etc. Bit nervous now...

    Under 2011 Building Regs, they only had to do a proportion of the units. That's what the estate agent is talking about.

    2019 Building Regs require all units to have aN air permeability test.

    You can just tell them it's a requirement of the Building Regs. Under section 1.5.4 of Technical Guidance Document for Part L (same section in 2011 Regs for comparison).


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    #3
    waterford_21
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭waterford_21


    Tnx for that. I’m not sure when the house was built, 2018/2019! But if it is only now being tested, would the 2019 regs apply.


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    #4
    Biker1
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭Biker1


    Looks like you are under the 2011 regs where only a proportion of the houses are required to be tested.
    If yours was not one of the tested houses then a default airtightness result of 7m3/hr/m2 at 50pa is applied regardless of the result on the tested houses.


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    #5
    waterford_21
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭waterford_21


    Biker1 wrote: »
    Looks like you are under the 2011 regs where only a proportion of the houses are required to be tested.
    If yours was not one of the tested houses then a default airtightness result of 7m3/hr/m2 at 50pa is applied regardless of the result on the tested houses.

    Tnx for that - a bit too technical for me lol. But would that generic rating be sufficient to bring the house up to an A2! I really thought that to get an A2 the house has to be close to passive in every level. I’m just wondering are they chancing their arm telling us they are A2!


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    #6
    waterford_21
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭waterford_21


    Biker1 wrote: »
    Looks like you are under the 2011 regs where only a proportion of the houses are required to be tested.
    If yours was not one of the tested houses then a default airtightness result of 7m3/hr/m2 at 50pa is applied regardless of the result on the tested houses.

    Tnx for that - great information. But would that generic rating be sufficient to bring the house up to an A2! I really thought that to get an A2 the house has to be close to passive in every level. I’m just wondering are they chancing their arm telling us they are A2! And the designer/architect is also the BER assessor! Maybe I’m just too cynical...


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    #7
    Alf Veedersane
    Registered Users Posts: 24,559 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    waterford_21 wrote: »
    Tnx for that - great information. But would that generic rating be sufficient to bring the house up to an A2! I really thought that to get an A2 the house has to be close to passive in every level. I’m just wondering are they chancing their arm telling us they are A2! And the designer/architect is also the BER assessor! Maybe I’m just too cynical...

    An A-rated home isn't necessarily built to passive house standards. The rating takes into account renewables but passive is about fabric, airtightness and minimising heat loss. Thats a simplification but you get the idea.

    The airtightness value won't significantly change the BER but it can be, in practice, poorer than the default.

    You can ask for the published BER cert or you can search for it online with your MPRN number which will be on your electricity bill but I would doubt that you're being told it's an A2 if it isn't.


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