Airtight Windows and Doors for Airtight Homes

February 17, 2025
Green Building

An airtight home is an energy-efficient home. It’s that simple.

When a home or building resists air leakage, it requires less energy to heat or cool. Airtight homes also benefit from improved indoor air quality, overall durability, noise resistance and occupant comfort. The many benefits of airtight homes is why there is an airtightness requirement – measured with a blower door test – in many building codes and voluntary standards. In the BC Energy Step Code, each step has an airtightness requirement, with the highest step requiring an airtightness rating of equal to or less than 1.0 ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 Pascals). To meet the requirements of the Passive House standard, the home or building must have an airtightness rating of no more than 0.6 ACH50.

To achieve an ultra-low airtightness rating, the building envelope needs to be prioritized. Building materials need to be intentionally selected to support an airtight target; weather barrier layers and connections needs to be well-thought-out; and everything needs to be properly installed by an experienced build team. Windows and doors are essentially large openings in the building envelope; when an airtight home is the goal, it’s important that both the fenestration and its installation is airtight.

Innotech windows and doors are engineered to delivery superior airtightness. All products are tested to comply with NAFS requirements, including both air infiltration and air exfiltration testing. In addition, we undergo regular in-house testing in our air and water testing chamber. The result is highly airtight windows and doors that are well-suited for airtight homes and buildings.

Here are three examples of some of our long-time clients who consistently achieve ultra-low airtightness ratings for their clients:

Lentel Construction is a builder based in Delta, BC that specializes in renovating and building highly sustainable homes. Blower door tests have been a mandatory part of their building process – long before they were required by the BC Energy Step Code. In this custom home, the team achieved 0.44 ACH50 on the final blower door test, securing its spot as a net-zero home and Built Green Canada Platinum rated home. This airtight home features many triple glazed windows and doors, including a total of nine doors, three of those are 12′ wide Lift + Slide Doors.

Red Stag Contracting in Penticton, BC is another builder that consistently achieves ultra-low airtightness ratings for their custom homes. Overlooking Okanagan Lake in Naramata, this home achieved an airtightness of 0.47 ACH50 on its final blower door test. The home features triple glazed windows and doors, including ten clerestory windows in the main living space, a large Lift + Slide Door, several Terrace Swing Doors, and many more windows.

Prime Habitat Builders in Kelowna, BC  has over twenty years experience in deep energy retrofits and high-performance homes, including net-zero and Passive House. In this custom home overlooking Okanagan Lake, the builder achieved an airtightness rating of 0.45 ACH50. This high-performance home features many large high-performance window and door assemblies to take advantage of the beautiful views without sacrificing comfort or durability.

These builders prioritized the building envelope in each of their builds. The result is energy-efficient homes that are healthy, comfortable and durable – not to mention have lower heating and cooling costs.