Two years ago, the Building Commissioning Association (BCA) released findings from a survey that revealed nearly two-thirds of building professionals believe that ducts in buildings have significant leakage. Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported that leakage rates of 15 percent or more are common. That’s despite the fact that building regulations and industry guidelines typically call for leakage rates that are substantially below that level.
Even though the overwhelming evidence points to duct leakage as a main culprit behind a slew of building performance problems, little attention has been paid to addressing the situation … until now. Over the coming months, building professionals and other contractors will be witness to a number of updates to regulatory standards and industry guidelines that directly impact duct performance.