| Purpose of the test |
Measures the rate of air passing through the installed door assembly under a specified pressure difference. |
Determines whether water penetrates the exterior face of the door assembly when exposed to controlled water spray and pressure. |
The complete assembly should be identified, including door slab, frame, sill, weatherstripping, glazing, hardware, and installation method. |
Do not evaluate the fiberglass slab alone; performance depends on the entire door-and-frame system. |
| Common reference pressure |
1.57 pounds per square foot, approximately 75 Pa, is commonly used for fenestration air-leakage ratings. |
1.57 pounds per square foot, approximately 75 Pa, is a common water-penetration test pressure for exterior fenestration products. |
The pressure must be stated in the report. A result without test pressure is incomplete and cannot be compared reliably. |
For exposed elevations, consider requiring a project-specific pressure higher than the minimum reference pressure when wind exposure warrants it. |
| Air-leakage reporting unit |
Usually reported as cubic feet per minute per square foot of door area, written as cfm/ft², or as a whole-assembly airflow value. |
Not normally expressed as cfm/ft². The result is generally recorded as water penetration or no water penetration at the specified pressure and duration. |
Check whether the reported airflow is normalized by area and whether the tested area is clearly stated. |
Lower air leakage is preferable, but compare products only when the same test pressure, specimen configuration, and reporting unit are used. |
| Common residential benchmark |
A commonly referenced fenestration requirement is no more than 0.30 cfm/ft² at 1.57 psf for many operable fenestration products. The applicable code and product category must be verified. |
ASTM E331 is a test method and does not establish one universal pass/fail limit for every project. Project specifications commonly require no uncontrolled water penetration during the test. |
Confirm the governing building code, product standard, rating category, and project specification rather than relying on ASTM E283 or E331 alone. |
Use the strictest applicable requirement among local code, project specification, and the door-system rating. |
| Water-spray duration |
Water exposure is not the primary measurement in ASTM E283. |
A commonly used ASTM E331 procedure applies water spray for 15 minutes while the specimen is subjected to the selected pressure difference. |
The report should state the spray duration, pressure, nozzle or spray-rack arrangement, specimen size, and observed leakage location. |
Give priority to assemblies with documented testing that matches the intended sill, threshold, frame, and installation details. |
| Door configuration |
Test results can change with single or double doors, active or inactive leaves, glazing, sidelites, transoms, and threshold type. |
Water performance can change substantially with sill design, corner joints, drainage paths, weatherstripping, and the presence of sidelites or a transom. |
The tested configuration must match the specified configuration, including dimensions and glazing layout. |
Do not apply a single-door test report automatically to a wider double-door or multi-panel configuration. |
| Installation sensitivity |
Gaps around the frame, poorly compressed weatherstripping, misaligned hinges, and inadequate latch engagement can increase measured air leakage. |
Improper pan flashing, discontinuous sealant, blocked drainage, uneven substrates, and an incorrectly installed sill can cause field leakage even when the product passed laboratory testing. |
Look for installation instructions, rough-opening details, sill-pan requirements, sealant specifications, and approved fastener locations. |
Select a system with clear installation details and require trained installation for high-exposure or high-rise locations. |
| Report credibility |
The report should identify the test laboratory, standard edition, calibration information, test pressure, airflow result, specimen, and test date. |
The report should identify water-spray conditions, pressure, duration, leakage observations, specimen configuration, and the stated conclusion. |
A marketing statement such as “weather resistant” is not equivalent to a complete ASTM test report. |
Prefer traceable laboratory documentation over unlabeled screenshots, unsupported ratings, or slab-only claims. |
| Recommended purchasing decision |
Choose a documented assembly that meets the applicable air-leakage limit at the required pressure. |
Choose a documented assembly with no unacceptable water penetration at the project-required pressure and duration. |
Obtain the full report, not only a product data-sheet summary, and verify that the tested assembly matches the final order. |
For 2026 projects, evaluate air leakage, water penetration, installation compatibility, local code, exposure, maintenance, and warranty together. |
