Good ventilation is vital to the health of your home or workplace. Not only will it help maintain the building, it will improve the air quality within the building for the benefit of everyone who lives or works within it.
There are 5 main benefits to good ventilation in a building:
1. Regulate temperature
Proper ventilation keeps the air flowing through the building properly which means that those areas that tend to be overly warm, such as lofts or conservatories, get cooler air flow and those that are naturally cold, such as cellars or north facing rooms, get warmer air moving through. In summer, when it gets very warm, the air can become very humid and sticky. This can make it difficult to go about your everyday activities but with a cooled air flow, life can go on as usual.
This temperature regulation makes for a more pleasant environment but it also helps to minimise issues that can arise, as we will go on to explore.
2. Remove condensation
Condensation is one of the biggest issues in most homes in terms of the damage it can cause. Condensation is essentially moisture and if this is allowed to build in the home it can cause damp in the walls. Not only can this be a costly problem to resolve, it can lead to the development of mould and mildew which is more than just unsightly; it can be harmful to health – especially if anyone has breathing issues such as asthma. Good ventilation keeps air moving and because of the regulation of temperature, it reduces the opportunity for condensation to form.
3. Remove smells
Every home has odours such as cooking, pets, bathroom smells etc. A properly ventilated home means that these odours don’t linger and simply disperse into the atmosphere. This creates a much more pleasant living environment.
4. Remove pollutants
There are pollutants in the air all around us – mould and mildew, allergens such as pollen, and chemicals such as cleaning products, cosmetics and DIY materials. Without ventilation, these pollutants may linger close to the source leading to concentrated levels. Good ventilation disperses them into the air making it much safer.
5. Prevent air becoming stale
All this movement of air, as outlined above, means that air is constantly circulating and thus is not allowed to become stale.
How can you achieve good ventilation?
Ventilation in a building can be achieved in various ways. In very simplistic terms, windows, doors and air bricks will provide some ventilation. More sophisticated ventilation can be achieved using devices such as fans, air coolers and air conditioning units.
