Ventilation is what helps the moisture, cooking odors, indoor pollutants, and smoke to find a way out of your house. Structural ventilation is important for controlling damp in the basement and crawl spaces, as well as heat levels. It also protects the uninsulated walls from moisture damage.
Having uninterrupted airflow in the house is also good for your health. Unhealthy blocked air could cause all kinds of lung diseases, allergies, and asthma. Ventilation is also important so you don’t have to deal with the problem of condensation, penetrating, or rising damp.
Table of Contents
Reasons Why Your Home Needs Good Ventilation
To Reduce Condensation
Condensation is more common during chilly months and colder areas like Potters Bar. The temperature drops more quickly when you turn off the heat. As the air gets cooler, it fails to hold the water content anymore.
The water then finds a way in the form of vapors that begin to form on windows and walls. Those droplets you see outside in the morning are what condensation looks like. Condensation happens to be the commonest form of damp issue.
Untreated, it could lead to black mold, mildew, and dark patches. Ultimately, it may damage the paint, and the wallpaper may start to peel. Let’s not forget having to deal with a musty smell, damage to floorboards, timber, furniture, poor structural integrity, and health concerns.
Adequate ventilation is crucial for transforming a stale and stagnant atmosphere into a healthy, fresh, condensation-free home.
To Make a Healthier Living Environment
For many asthma patients – moldy, moist, and damp conditions can be a huge trigger. In such a household, adequate ventilation is the most important thing. High humidity levels provide perfect conditions for dust mites to grow. In poorly ventilated houses, dust mites become airborne.
Upon inhaling them, many people experience an allergic reaction which often results in asthma attacks, watery eyes, a runny rose, sneezing, and itching. With proper ventilation, most of these health issues and triggers are easy to manage.
Most asthma patients would notice an immediate difference in the air quality when their home has been fitted with a ventilation system.
To Lower the Concentrations of Radon Gas
Radon is an odorless, colorless gas. It’s formed in nature by the decaying of uranium present in certain types of soils across the country and rocks. Multiple cases of lung cancer have been linked with Radon gas as per WHO (World Health Organization).
Residential areas around water treatment facilities, caves, and mines are most vulnerable to trapping radon gas in the absence of adequate ventilation. When you throw condensation into the mix, the problem gets even worse. Ventilation can bring down the concentration of radon to healthy levels.
To Control Moisture Level
Excess moisture is the leading reason behind all kinds of damp-related issues in most households. With adequate airflow throughout the house, you can make sure that the furniture, floorboards, wooden items, and walls remain dry and moisture-free. You wouldn’t want to deal with rotting wood, right?
But, if you let the moisture continue to build up, you could face any of these problems. Other than causing structural issues, excess moisture could also cause termite and mold buildup.
For Better Air Quality
Stagnant air inside the house that can’t find an outlet becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of pollutants like germs, bacteria, and chemical gases. If you use house paint, cleaning products, and air freshers, know that all these products release volatile organic compounds.
Together, these things could drastically bring down the air quality that you constantly inhale. To expel these pollutants along with moisture, odor, and bacteria, you need good ventilation.
Ventilation can rid the house of airborne contaminants that could become a health hazard for children, the elderly, and immune-compromised individuals.
To Decrease VOC Concentrations
Short for volatile organic compounds, VOCs are emitted from everyday household items and chemicals. It’s even released from some furnishings coated with paints. In higher concentrations, VOCs could become highly toxic. It’s important that you store away those chemicals properly and be conscientious about VOC emissions from certain goods and furnishings.
A ventilation system is, once again, a great way to control VOC levels from becoming too concentrated. It’s nearly impossible to completely get rid of these, but ventilation does help a lot.
Some Considerations for Good Ventilation
- Install exhaust fans in bathroom and kitchen
- Always keep a window open when you cook to get the airborne particles and fumes out.
- Any appliances using gas, wood, propane, or some other combustion must have vents leading outside. Avoid using ventless stoves. Have carbon monoxide detectors around the house.
- Dry your clothes outside even in winters.
- Regularly check your vents for dust or debris to ensure uninterrupted airflow.
- Add extra ventilation by opening doors and windows if you do painting or other hobbies that use chemicals. Use a fan to suck the fumes out.
- Hire a professional to get your home tested for radon levels and fix it.
- If the air is consistently moist, check for the source and fix it. If the problem still persists, install a dehumidifier. Clean it regularly.
- Never leave your car idle in a garage attached to the main living area. It’s the easiest way to let the pollutants in.
- Get your HVAC unit regularly inspected and serviced.
Bottom Line
Having proper ventilation around the house is one of the healthiest things you can do for the safety of your loved one as well as your home’s structural integrity.