We cover Argyll & Bute, the Highlands and the Central Belt. If your project sits outside these areas but close to our boundaries, get in touch, we're happy to discuss it.
Yes, absolutely. We work with self-builders, architects, contractors and kit manufacturers, wherever you are in the process, we're happy to help. If you're not sure whether we're the right fit for your project, just get in touch and we'll talk it through.
The earlier the better. For MVHR installation, getting us involved at design stage means the system can be planned in properly from the start, rather than retrofitted around other services. For air tightness testing, we'd recommend booking well ahead of your target completion date, leaving it to the last minute can cause delays if remedial work is needed. As a general rule, the earlier we're in the conversation, the smoother the process.
Yes. We are BPEC certified for MVHR installation and commissioning and ATTMA certified (BCTA) for air tightness testing. This means all of our work meets recognised industry standards and the certification we provide carries the weight needed to support your compliance, SAP calculations and Completion Certificate.
MVHR stands for Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery. It's a whole-house ventilation system that continuously extracts stale, moist air from areas like kitchens and bathrooms and replaces it with fresh filtered air, recovering up to 90% of the heat from the outgoing air in the process.
Modern buildings are built to be increasingly airtight, which is great for energy efficiency but means natural ventilation through gaps and draughts is no longer reliable. MVHR solves that problem, maintaining healthy indoor air quality without the heat loss that comes with simply opening windows.
In many new builds, particularly those targeting higher energy performance standards, MVHR is either specified by the designer or required to meet compliance. Even where it isn't mandatory, it's widely considered best practice in well-insulated, airtight buildings.
Installation and commissioning are two very different things. Installing an MVHR system means fitting the unit and ducting, commissioning is the process of setting it up to actually work correctly. This involves balancing the airflow rates across every room to match the design specification, checking the system is performing as intended and producing documentation to confirm it.
An uncommissioned or poorly commissioned MVHR system might be running, but it won't be doing its job properly. Rooms can end up over or under ventilated, the heat recovery efficiency drops and occupants often end up with exactly the air quality problems the system was supposed to prevent.
It's one of the most commonly skipped steps in new build ventilation and one of the main reasons we set up APS.
It depends on the size and complexity of the build, but as a general guide, a typical new build installation takes between one and three days. Larger or more complex properties with multiple zones or longer duct runs will naturally take longer. We'll give you a clear timeline as part of your quote so you can plan other trades around us.
Yes. We offer optional annual servicing to keep your MVHR system running efficiently long after handover. This typically involves filter changes, checking airflow rates and making sure everything is still balanced and performing as it should. It's worth doing, a neglected MVHR system gradually loses efficiency and can start to cause the very problems it was designed to prevent.
Air tightness testing measures how much air leaks through the fabric of a building through gaps, joints, penetrations and poorly sealed openings. The test is carried out using a blower door, which pressurises the building and calculates the air leakage rate.
In Scotland, air tightness testing is a requirement for new build properties. The result feeds into your as-built SAP calculation, which is needed to produce your final Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Without a valid test result, you can't complete your SAP assessment and without that, you can't get your EPC, which is required before a new build can be occupied.
Getting tested early enough to address any issues is important. A failed test doesn't have to mean a major problem, but it does mean remedial work is needed before you can proceed, which is why having a plan in place from the start makes a significant difference.
Air tightness testing should take place once the building envelope is complete and all penetrations are sealed, but before finishes are applied where possible, this way, if any remedial sealing work is needed, it's far easier to access and address.
We'd recommend having your air tight sealing carried out first, then testing shortly after. Leaving testing until the very end of a project, when everything is finished and decorated, is a common mistake that can make remedial work costly and disruptive if the result isn't what you were hoping for.
The key is not to treat it as a final box-ticking exercise. Book us in early, get the sealing done properly and the test should be a formality rather than a risk.
Most air tightness tests take between one and two hours on site. The test itself is relatively straightforward, the main time is spent setting up the equipment, sealing temporary openings like trickle vents, carrying out the pressurisation and depressurisation cycles and producing the test report. We'll let you know in advance if there's anything we need from you or your team on the day to keep things running smoothly.
They're two separate tests that serve different purposes.
Air tightness testing measures how airtight the building envelope is as a whole, it's the test required for your SAP calculation and EPC certification.
Spillage testing checks that combustion appliances, such as open-flued boilers or stoves, are venting safely and not spilling combustion gases back into the living space. It's typically required when applying for a Completion Certificate, particularly where solid fuel or gas appliances are present.
Both can be carried out by us, and where both are needed on the same project, we'll schedule them together where possible to minimise disruption.
Air tight sealing is the process of sealing all of the gaps, joints and penetrations that can compromise the airtight layer of a building. This includes anywhere services pass through walls, floors, or ceilings, pipe and cable penetrations, duct openings, and around window and door frames.
It happens post first fix, once all mechanical and electrical services are installed, but before the building is closed up and finished. This is the point at which all the penetrations are visible and accessible, making it the right time to ensure every potential air leakage point is properly dealt with.
Skipping this stage, or leaving it to trades who aren't focused on airtightness, is one of the most common reasons buildings underperform on their air tightness test. Getting it done properly at the right stage means the test that follows should reflect the building's true potential, rather than highlighting a series of avoidable oversights.
Simply get in touch via our contact form or give us a call. To give you an accurate quote, it helps to have a few basic details about your project, the type and size of build, your location, which services you need, and your anticipated programme. The more information you can share upfront, the more accurate and useful we can be. We're also happy to have an early conversation before you have all the details pinned down.