Standards - Home Quality Mark

Address: Air Quality Plan Limited Royal House, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5TJ, UK
Telephone: 01489 575733

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What Is Home Quality Mark (HQM)?

What is Home Quality Mark? The Home Quality Mark (HQM) is a customer- focused, third-party assessment and certification scheme focused on domestic dwellings. It recognises new homes where performance meets best-practice standards that are often significantly above those required by regulation. It defines a rigorous, evidence based, relevant and independent voluntary standard for new homes, and is built on tried and tested processes commonly used in the UK and the rest of the world. HQM has been developed by BRE, the same organisation that created the BREEAM standard.

What Do HQM Assessments Involve?

An HQM assessment is a two- stage process to make sure that opportunities to improve the performance of the home are identified during the design stage (interim assessment and certificate) and put into practice during the construction and commissioning stages and when people move into the home (final assessment and certificate).

HQM certification involves the validation of the assessment by impartial experts known as assessors. The HQM assessor will evaluate the design, specification and construction of a new home using the criteria and methodologies defined in this technical manual and the assessment tools that support it.

Where do Air Quality Plan fit into this?

Under the “Comfort” section of the HQM standard, section 4.1 relates to Indoor Pollutants. The aim of this section is to increase comfort for occupants and minimise negative impacts on health arising from indoor air pollutants emitted from the building and its materials. Within this section there are 2 important criteria, Criteria 8 Measurement of Formaldehyde and Criteria 10 Measurement of TVOC.

Air Quality Plan Ltd can assist can carry out the required indoor air quality testing for Formaldehyde and TVOC to demonstrate compliance with both criteria under the HAQ standard. We only use our own in-house consultants who have significant experience and training in air quality monitoring. So you can be comforted with the knowledge that your project is in the hands of experienced and knowledgeable experts in the field.

It is essential that testing for Formaldehyde and VOCs is carried out to the specified HQM exacting standard required on your project. All tests must be analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory.

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For any additional information surrounding 'what is HQM?', get in touch today on 01489 575733 to find out more about what HQM environmental assessments are. Alternatively, visit our contact page here.