Age and type of house
Tape is missing from one joint in a SIPs roof the surveyor could see from the loft. What airtightness test of that joint was not done?
No airtightness test of that joint was done. The surveyor could see, from the loft, that tape is missing from one joint in the SIPs roof. Missing tape is a visual gap in the seal that should run along the panel joint. It is not a pressure test, a smoke test, or a measured leak. The survey has recorded the missing tape at the joint it could see. It has not tested how much air that joint passes, and it has not tested the joints it could not see. The airtightness of the joint remains unmeasured.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Structural insulated panels rely on taped joints to keep the air barrier continuous. From a loft the surveyor may see the underside of one joint and notice that the tape has never been applied, has peeled, or stops short. That is worth recording because the seal is part of how the panel roof is built. It does not quantify leakage, and it does not say the rest of the roof is taped or untaped. The finding stops at the missing tape on the visible joint.
Tell the solicitor, and the firm who might know the roof, that one visible joint lacks tape and that no airtightness test was carried out. If a test is wanted, it is a separate instruction with access agreed. Do not translate a missing strip of tape into a whole-roof failure, and do not ignore it because the loft felt still on the day. The survey has not measured the joint. It has only said the tape was not there to see.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which SIPs joint lacked tape, and how much of that joint could you see from the loft?
- Was any airtightness test done, or is the note visual only?
- Which other joints could you not see and therefore not comment on?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the missing tape as a visual note on one visible joint.
- Do not invent an airtightness result the visit did not measure.
- If a test is needed, instruct it separately with access agreed.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the loft felt dry, has the joint been tested for air leakage?
No. A dry loft on the day is weather and ventilation, not an airtightness test. The survey saw missing tape on one joint and did not test how much air passes it. Dry felt boards do not measure the joint, and they do not replace the tape that was absent.
Does the missing tape on this joint describe every joint in the roof?
No. It describes the joint the surveyor could see from the loft. Other joints may be taped, untaped, or simply unseen. The survey has not tested airtightness at this joint or at the others. One missing strip is not a map of the whole roof.