Fully Accredited Whole Building Air Leakage Testing and Window Testing in Savannah

Building Envelope Testing in Savannah, GA

Commercial buildings in Savannah face enclosure conditions that make effective air and water management especially important. Coastal humidity, frequent rain, wind-driven moisture, and year-round cooling demands can expose weaknesses in windows, curtain walls, air barriers, sealants, and transitions between exterior building systems.

QED LAB provides building envelope testing in Savannah, Georgia, for commercial construction, multifamily developments, hotels, healthcare facilities, institutional properties, industrial buildings, and other projects throughout Savannah, Chatham County, and Coastal Georgia.

Our field-testing capabilities include air barrier testing, commercial blower door testing, whole-building air leakage testing, ASTM water penetration testing, AAMA window and curtain wall testing, infrared thermography, and building enclosure commissioning support.

Whether you’re working on new construction near Downtown Savannah, a commercial development in the greater Savannah metro, or a facility near the Port of Savannah, QED LAB can help verify how the building enclosure performs under controlled field conditions.

Commercial Building Envelope Testing in Savannah

A commercial building enclosure is made up of multiple systems that must function together.

Exterior walls, roofs, windows, curtain walls, storefronts, doors, waterproofing, insulation, and air barriers all connect through hundreds or potentially thousands of joints, penetrations, and transitions.

Those interfaces are often where problems develop.

For projects in Savannah and Coastal Georgia, controlling unwanted air and moisture movement is particularly important because exterior conditions can place persistent demands on the enclosure.

QED LAB uses field-testing methods to evaluate individual assemblies and overall building performance.

Testing can be incorporated into construction quality assurance, building enclosure commissioning, specification compliance, or an investigation into an existing leakage problem.

Air Barrier Testing in Savannah, GA

The air barrier is intended to limit uncontrolled airflow through the exterior building enclosure.

Gaps and discontinuities can develop at roof-to-wall transitions, window perimeters, exterior penetrations, doors, material transitions, and other complicated details.

QED LAB provides air barrier testing in Savannah, GA, to help project teams evaluate enclosure airtightness and identify potential leakage.

For buildings operating in Savannah’s humid climate, uncontrolled airflow can affect more than energy consumption. Air movement through enclosure assemblies can also transport moisture and contribute to unwanted condensation or building-performance problems when temperature and humidity conditions allow.

Testing provides measurable information about how the completed enclosure is performing.

Commercial Blower Door Testing in Savannah

Blower door testing can be used on large commercial buildings to quantify whole-building air leakage.

Rather than using a single residential fan, larger buildings may require multiple calibrated fan systems operating together to create the required pressure differential.

QED LAB provides commercial blower door testing in Savannah and Chatham County for projects requiring whole-building airtightness verification.

Depending on project requirements, testing may reference standards such as ASTM E779 or ASTM E1827.

Before testing begins, the building needs to be prepared appropriately. Exterior openings, HVAC systems, intentional penetrations, temporary construction conditions, building size, and pressure zones may all need to be considered.

QED LAB coordinates with project teams so the test setup reflects the applicable standard and project requirements.

Whole-Building Air Leakage Testing in Coastal Georgia

Whole-building air leakage testing evaluates the exterior enclosure as a connected system.

The building is pressurized or depressurized while calibrated equipment measures how much airflow is required to maintain a specified pressure difference.

Those results provide a quantitative measurement of building airtightness.

If the building doesn’t perform as expected, additional investigation can help determine where leakage is concentrated.

For Savannah-area projects, likely investigation areas can include windows, exterior doors, roof transitions, penetrations, loading areas, storefront systems, and interfaces between different enclosure materials.

Window Testing in Savannah, GA

Windows can be a significant part of a building’s exterior enclosure, particularly on hotels, multifamily properties, healthcare facilities, offices, and mixed-use developments.

Even a high-performance window can experience problems if installation details around the opening aren’t completed properly.

QED LAB provides field window testing in Savannah to evaluate installed assemblies for air and water performance where required.

Testing may help identify issues involving:

Window perimeter seals
Flashing
Gaskets
Sealants
Rough-opening interfaces
Frame joints
Adjacent wall transitions
Installation inconsistencies

Finding these conditions during construction can give the project team an opportunity to make corrections before interior finishes are complete or the same installation detail is repeated throughout the property.

Curtain Wall and Storefront Testing in Savannah

Curtain walls and storefront assemblies are common components of commercial buildings throughout Downtown Savannah, Midtown, Pooler, and the surrounding Savannah metro area.

These systems include numerous joints and interfaces that must resist air and water penetration.

QED LAB performs curtain wall and storefront testing in Savannah, GA, using applicable AAMA and ASTM field procedures based on project requirements.

Testing can help evaluate installed systems and investigate suspected leakage at glazing, gaskets, sealants, perimeter conditions, and transitions.

AAMA 501.2 Testing in Savannah

AAMA 501.2 hose nozzle testing can be used to investigate specific joints and details in curtain wall, storefront, and other exterior wall systems.

During testing, controlled water is directed at targeted joints while the interior side is observed for water penetration.

This method can be useful when a project team needs to isolate a localized leakage condition.

QED LAB provides AAMA 501.2 testing in Savannah for commercial construction and building-envelope investigations where the procedure is appropriate.

It can also be incorporated into a larger quality-control testing program.

AAMA 502 Window and Door Field Testing

Laboratory performance doesn’t automatically guarantee identical performance after a window or door has been installed in a building.

Field conditions introduce additional variables.

Perimeter seals, flashing, rough openings, adjacent materials, and installation workmanship can all affect performance.

QED LAB supports AAMA 502 field testing in Savannah, Georgia, when required for installed fenestration systems.

Testing provides project teams with information about the actual installed condition rather than relying exclusively on product-level performance data.

AAMA 503 Storefront and Curtain Wall Testing

For installed storefronts, curtain walls, and other fenestration assemblies, project specifications may call for field testing under AAMA 503.

QED LAB can support Savannah construction projects requiring AAMA 503 field testing to evaluate installed assembly performance.

Testing can be particularly useful while exterior work remains accessible and corrective work can be completed before the project advances too far.

ASTM E1105 Water Penetration Testing in Savannah

Wind-driven rain is an important consideration for building envelopes in Coastal Georgia.

ASTM E1105 is commonly used to evaluate water penetration through installed exterior windows, curtain walls, and doors under a controlled air pressure difference.

During ASTM E1105 testing in Savannah, water is applied to the exterior of the test area while equipment establishes the required pressure difference across the assembly.

The interior side is then monitored for water penetration.

This can help determine whether the installed assembly performs under the specified test conditions.

ASTM E1105 testing can be performed as part of new construction quality assurance, enclosure commissioning, or an investigation into reported water intrusion.

ASTM E331 Water Penetration Testing

QED LAB can also support projects involving ASTM E331 water penetration testing when appropriate to the assembly and project requirements.

ASTM E331 evaluates water penetration through exterior assemblies under a uniform static air pressure difference.

The applicable procedure should be based on the project specifications, assembly type, and reason for testing.

For Savannah projects with significant glazing or exposed exterior wall systems, field water testing can provide valuable information about installation quality before occupancy.

Water Intrusion Testing in Savannah and Chatham County

A visible water stain doesn’t always reveal where water actually entered the building.

Water can penetrate an exterior assembly and travel along framing, flashing, insulation, or other components before becoming visible inside.

That can make water intrusion difficult to diagnose without controlled testing.

QED LAB provides water intrusion testing in Savannah, GA, to help isolate potential leakage sources.

Investigations may focus on windows, curtain walls, storefronts, doors, sealant joints, exterior penetrations, wall transitions, or other suspected locations.

Controlled testing allows specific areas to be evaluated instead of relying only on observations made during unpredictable weather events.

Building Envelope Testing for Savannah's Coastal Climate

Savannah’s coastal location creates different enclosure concerns than many inland Georgia markets.

High humidity, frequent cooling demand, heavy rainfall, and wind-driven moisture can all influence building-envelope performance.

The enclosure must manage several forces simultaneously:

Exterior moisture
Uncontrolled air movement
Temperature differences
Solar exposure
Interior and exterior humidity
Wind-driven rain

Small defects at transitions or penetrations can become more significant when those conditions repeatedly act on the enclosure.

Field testing gives owners and project teams a way to evaluate performance before relying on the building to manage those conditions for years.

Infrared Thermography in Savannah

Infrared thermography can supplement other building-envelope diagnostic methods by showing temperature differences across surfaces.

Under appropriate environmental conditions, thermal patterns may help identify areas associated with air leakage, insulation irregularities, moisture-related conditions, or thermal bridging.

QED LAB can incorporate infrared thermography for Savannah buildings when it supports the goals of the investigation.

Thermal imaging is most effective when combined with knowledge of the building assembly, environmental conditions, and other field observations.

It shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as proof of a specific defect without additional evaluation.

Building Enclosure Commissioning in Savannah

Building enclosure commissioning provides a more systematic approach to verifying enclosure performance throughout design and construction.

Field testing can play an important role in that process.

QED LAB supports building enclosure commissioning in Savannah, GA, through performance testing and field verification services.

Testing can be coordinated around project milestones to evaluate representative assemblies before similar details are repeated throughout the building.

Depending on project requirements, this may involve fenestration testing, air barrier evaluation, water penetration testing, whole-building airtightness testing, or other enclosure performance verification.

Savannah Hotel and Hospitality Building Testing

Savannah’s hospitality market creates a particularly relevant application for building-envelope testing.

Hotels can contain large numbers of repeated window openings, exterior penetrations, and wall transitions. A recurring installation issue can therefore affect many locations if it isn’t identified early.

QED LAB can support hotel building envelope testing in Savannah through window testing, water penetration testing, air leakage evaluation, and other specified field-testing procedures.

Testing representative installations earlier in construction can help project teams identify issues before the same detail is repeated across additional guest rooms.

Multifamily Building Envelope Testing in Savannah

Apartment, condominium, and other multifamily developments can present similar challenges.

Repeated windows, balconies, exterior doors, penetrations, and transitions create numerous locations where enclosure performance depends on consistent installation.

QED LAB provides multifamily building envelope testing in Savannah and Chatham County, helping project teams evaluate representative areas and whole-building performance where required.

Services may include window testing, water penetration testing, air leakage testing, and enclosure commissioning support.

Testing Near the Port of Savannah and Garden City

The greater Savannah market also contains extensive industrial, warehouse, logistics, and distribution development associated with the Port of Savannah and Garden City area.

Large industrial and warehouse buildings present different testing challenges from hotels or high-rise properties.

Their size, loading areas, exterior doors, roof-to-wall transitions, penetrations, and mechanical systems can all influence whole-building airtightness testing.

QED LAB can coordinate commercial air leakage and building-envelope testing for Savannah-area industrial facilities based on project requirements and building configuration.

Building Envelope Testing in Pooler, GA

QED LAB also supports commercial projects in Pooler and western Chatham County.

With continued commercial, hospitality, multifamily, warehouse, and industrial development around the Savannah metro, field verification can help project teams evaluate air and water performance before construction is complete.

Projects in Pooler can utilize the same QED LAB capabilities, including commercial blower door testing, air barrier testing, ASTM water penetration testing, AAMA field testing, and building-envelope diagnostics.

When Should Savannah Projects Schedule Testing?

Whenever possible, building-envelope testing should be coordinated before the relevant assemblies become difficult to access.

Testing representative windows or wall areas earlier in construction can help identify installation issues before the same condition is repeated throughout the building.

Whole-building air leakage testing typically occurs later, once the exterior enclosure is sufficiently complete and the building can be prepared for testing.

The exact schedule depends on the project specifications and test method.

Providing QED LAB with drawings, specifications, building size, required standards, construction schedule, and testing requirements can help determine an appropriate testing plan.

Schedule Building Envelope Testing in Savannah, GA

QED LAB provides building envelope testing in Savannah, Chatham County, and Coastal Georgia for commercial construction and existing-building investigations.

Our capabilities include commercial blower door testing, whole-building air leakage testing, air barrier testing, window testing, curtain wall and storefront testing, AAMA 501.2, AAMA 502, AAMA 503, ASTM E1105, ASTM E331, water intrusion testing, infrared thermography, and building enclosure commissioning support.

Whether you’re managing a project in Downtown Savannah, the Historic District, Midtown, Pooler, Garden City, near the Port of Savannah, or elsewhere in the Savannah metro, QED LAB can help develop a testing scope based on the building and project requirements.

Contact QED LAB to discuss your Savannah building-envelope testing needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does QED LAB provide commercial blower door testing in Savannah, GA?

Yes. QED LAB provides commercial blower door and whole-building air leakage testing for Savannah-area projects requiring building airtightness verification.

Does QED LAB perform air barrier testing in Chatham County?

Yes. QED LAB can support commercial air barrier and whole-building air leakage testing throughout Savannah, Chatham County, and surrounding Coastal Georgia communities.

Can you perform water testing on windows in Savannah?

Yes. QED LAB performs field water penetration testing and diagnostic investigations involving installed windows, curtain walls, storefronts, doors, and related exterior assemblies.

What standards can QED LAB test to?

Depending on the project requirements, testing may involve ASTM E779, ASTM E1827, ASTM E1105, ASTM E331, AAMA 501.2, AAMA 502, AAMA 503, and other specified building-envelope testing procedures.

Does QED LAB work on Savannah hotel and multifamily projects?

Yes. QED LAB’s testing capabilities can support hotels, multifamily developments, commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, institutional projects, industrial properties, and other building types.

Does QED LAB serve Pooler and the greater Savannah area?

Yes. QED LAB can support projects in Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Chatham County, and surrounding Coastal Georgia communities.

Looking for more information about Building Envelope Testing?

At QED LAB, we offer a Lunch and Learn where we provide valuable insights into code requirements and building envelope testing. Our experts will explain how these tests are performed and meet compliance with building codes. Join us for lunch and learn more about building envelope testing today!