Operating Your Home: Ventilation
Good ventilation is a key component in having a healthy home - and occupants!
Here’s our 2 minute guide outlining how and why to keep your home well ventilated. Hopefully these suggestions help keep you and your home in top shape.
Firstly, let’s understand why it’s important that you ventilate your home:
1. Fresh air is good for you; it cleans your lungs and can lift your mood.
2.Good ventilation and air flow will prevent the build up of mould and mildew.
3. As we head into the warmer months, ventilation can help naturally cool your home.
So, how do you achieve good ventilation?
The key to a well ventilated house is actively opening and closing your windows and doors.
To create good air flow you need a point for fresh air to enter and a point for old air to leave.
By opening at least two windows or external doors you’ll create airflow. By opening them on opposite sides of a space you'll get cross ventilation through that space.
Types of ventilation:
Two key types of ventilation are cross ventilation, which allows air to move through a space, and stack ventilation, which draws in cool air and pulls hot air up and out.
When should you open your windows?
Ventilation is primarily a passive cooling strategy, which means you’ll want to use it to keep cool in the warmer months.
To achieve this you’ll need to open your windows at night when the temperature drops, and close them first thing in the morning before the heat kicks in.
Mechanical ventilation + exhaust fans:
In the colder months, when there is a greater chance of moisture build up and less scope for opening windows, exhaust fans are key.
Keep them clean to ensure they're working efficiently.
You may also want to leave them on for extended periods (5 - 10 minutes) after you cook or shower to ensure the moist air gets extracted.
...and finally!
Having good ventilation leads to a healthier you and a healthier home, so remember to be an active occupant!