Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
10/31/2026
Start Date
1 month
Duration
100
Total Hours
6 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
ICTESS’s Building Airtightness Training Course trains specialists in controlling the air leakage of the building envelope. The program covers in depth blower door testing methods, how to interpret the ACH50 metric, and construction strategies that minimize uncontrolled air infiltration in high-performance buildings.
You will learn the technical procedures that energy codes and high-performance building standards require: preparing and running pressurization tests per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380, diagnosing air leaks with infrared thermography and anemometry, designing the air barrier at the design stage, and specifying sealing materials. The course ends with a Capstone Project, where you apply everything you have learned to a complete airtightness analysis of a real building.
The Building Airtightness Training Course responds to the growing demand for high-performance and zero energy buildings, where controlling air infiltration is key to meeting efficiency targets. The IECC sets maximum air leakage limits for new homes, and standards such as Passive House (PHIUS and PHI) set even stricter limits, which call for professionals who can measure, diagnose and fix airtightness problems.
The course prepares you to plan and run airtightness tests to applicable standards, correctly interpret ACH50 results, locate leaks with complementary diagnostic techniques, and propose effective construction solutions. You will learn to design the air barrier at the design stage, oversee its installation on site, and verify the final result with a blower door test.
You will work hands-on with blower door equipment and diagnostic techniques such as infrared thermography and hot-wire anemometry. The course ends with a Capstone Project, where you develop a complete airtightness analysis of a building.
The Building Airtightness Training Course prepares you for specialized technical work at general contractors, architecture firms, energy efficiency consultancies and building quality control labs. You could work as a blower door test technician, building envelope specialist, Passive House consultant, or quality manager on high-performance construction projects.
You will learn to run pressurization tests per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380, interpret results and prepare technical reports, locate air leaks with thermography and anemometry, and specify sealing solutions for problem construction details. You will master air barrier analysis in design documents and the oversight of its installation on site.
You will also be able to advise on the design of airtight envelopes, propose corrective measures in existing buildings, and verify compliance with the IECC and standards such as Passive House, ENERGY STAR or DOE Zero Energy Ready Home. The hands-on approach lets you apply what you learn to real high-performance building projects right away.
Study from anywhere with no commute. Balance your technical specialization with your current job.
Plan your study around your own schedule. Move through the modules when it suits you and review whatever you need.
Learn from documented tests, real air leakage analyses and field-proven construction solutions.
Technical video lessons, up-to-date downloadable materials, forums with specialized tutors, and hands-on diagnostic exercises.
With ICTESS you get specialized technical training focused on professional practice and built so you master the airtightness control skills high-performance construction demands. Learn with up-to-date methods and real test cases.
What you'll achieve
Understand the fundamentals of building airtightness and the ACH50 metric, and how air leakage affects energy demand and indoor comfort.
Prepare and run blower door pressurization tests per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380, selecting the right test method for each test objective.
Diagnose air leaks with infrared thermography and hot-wire anemometry, locating leakage points at critical construction details.
Specify sealing materials and solutions for joints, penetrations and transitions, designing effective air barriers at the design stage.
Prepare airtightness technical reports with results, leakage diagnosis and recommended corrective measures to professional standards.
The building industry is going through a deep transformation driven by decarbonization goals and stricter energy codes. In well-insulated buildings, uncontrolled air leakage can account for a significant share of energy losses, which has made airtightness a critical design and construction parameter.
An expanding code requirement: The IECC requires blower door testing for new homes, with maximum ACH50 limits by climate zone, and a growing number of states and jurisdictions are adding testing requirements for commercial buildings. Standards such as Passive House, ENERGY STAR and LEED include strict airtightness requirements that call for trained professionals to verify compliance.
Direct impact on construction quality: Uncontrolled air leakage not only raises energy demand but also causes comfort issues, noise, pollutant entry and condensation that leads to building defects. Mastering airtightness control helps prevent these problems at the design stage and catch them before handover.
Competitive edge in the job market: Specializing in airtightness sets you apart from generalist profiles. General contractors, architecture firms and developers look for professionals who can guarantee airtightness results, especially on projects whose code compliance or certification depends on blower door verification.
Completing the Building Airtightness Training Course positions you as a specialist in a field that energy codes and high-performance standards increasingly demand. The IECC and Passive House require professionals who can verify envelope airtightness, a hard-to-find skill.
Access to a growing professional niche: Demand for blower door testing is growing with stricter energy codes and the push toward zero energy buildings. You can offer airtightness testing and consulting as a main or complementary service in a specialized, well-regarded field.
A distinctive technical skill: Mastering pressurization testing, leak diagnosis and air sealing solutions sets you apart from generalist profiles. This expertise is especially valued on Passive House projects, energy retrofits supported by utility and state efficiency programs, and LEED or ENERGY STAR certified buildings.
Ability to contribute at every project phase: You will build the skills to advise from air barrier design through final on-site verification, so you can follow complete projects and catch problems before they become costly building defects.
Recognized professional certificate: The ICTESS professional certificate backs your technical specialization in building airtightness, strengthening your position in the job market and validating your skills with high-performance construction companies.
This course is designed for professionals and technicians who need to master building airtightness control to meet today’s energy efficiency requirements. Recommended profiles include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culminating stage of the course and brings together all the technical skills you develop. It involves the complete development of a building airtightness analysis, from test planning to the corrective measures proposal, using the professional methods and diagnostic techniques the industry relies on.
The project includes preparing the blower door test per ASTM E779 or RESNET/ICC 380, selecting the appropriate method and justifying the test conditions. You will simulate the pressurization test, interpret the results by calculating ACH50 and comparing it with the applicable code or certification limits. Leak diagnosis will use infrared thermography and anemometry data to identify leakage points and their construction origin.
The project also includes sealing solutions for the problem details found, specifying materials and application techniques based on industry best practices. The final deliverable must meet the technical standard and professional format of a blower door test report, showing that you can produce complete, rigorous documentation for code officials, certification bodies or clients who require airtightness verification.
ICTESS’s Building Airtightness Training Course trains you to use blower door equipment for pressurization tests per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380. You will learn to install the fan in the door frame, set the pressure ranges, take depressurization and pressurization readings, and interpret results with the equipment software. The course also covers complementary leak diagnosis techniques: infrared thermography to visualize thermal bridges and air leaks in the envelope, and hot-wire anemometry to pinpoint air entry points. Combined, these techniques let you not only quantify the building’s overall air leakage with ACH50 but also identify exactly where leaks occur so you can propose targeted solutions.
A degree in architecture or engineering is not required, although technical training in construction, building science or building systems is recommended. The course is designed for architects, construction managers, building engineers and industrial engineers, and it is also open to technicians with an associate degree in building design, superintendents and construction professionals with proven experience. You will need basic knowledge of building physics, the ability to read construction details, and comfort working with measurement equipment. The course includes specific technical content on heat transfer and airflow, so you will need to interpret numerical results and apply them to real job site conditions.
The ICTESS Professional Certificate backs your technical training in airtightness and pressurization testing, documenting the skills you gain in preparing, running and interpreting tests per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380. It does not replace credentials such as RESNET HERS Rater or BPI certification, which some jurisdictions and programs require for code compliance testing, but it demonstrates your technical competence to clients and certification bodies. Many general contractors, architecture firms and developers value specialized airtightness training as proof of technical competence, because test results determine certification outcomes and the fulfillment of contractual requirements.
The Building Airtightness Training Course stands out for its specialized focus and technical depth in a specific area that general courses barely touch. While energy efficiency programs usually treat airtightness as a secondary topic within the thermal envelope, this course focuses exclusively on air leakage control with the level of detail professional projects require. The content includes hands-on blower door testing per ASTM E779 and RESNET/ICC 380, diagnostic techniques with thermography and anemometry, and specific construction solutions for each type of problem detail. The course also covers air barrier design at the design stage, a key skill that lets you prevent problems instead of finding them once they are built and costly to fix.
