Good ventilation means ensuring an adequate supply of fresh air so that moisture, which is present in every home, can be discharged. If there is inadequate ventilation, problems associated with excessive damp may occur, such as mould and rot. This is bad for the property and bad for the health of the residents. What is more, damp air is harder to heat, so good ventilation will also reduce your heating costs.
Ventilation Tips
- If you have a mechanical ventilation system in your home, ensure that this stays on at all times.
- Leave the vents open day and night, even in the winter. Do not seal them, and keep them clean.
- Keep the extractor vents and extractor fan in the kitchen clean too. Ensure that the extractor vents and filters are kept clean at all times; this also applies to the supply vents.
- Open the windows regularly as wide as they will go; keep them open for fifteen minutes each time. Air from outside always contains less moisture than the air inside your home. Turn the heating down when you do this, but never lower than 13 degrees.
- Dry off the floor and walls of your bathroom after you have used it; open a window or turn on the mechanical ventilation. Keep the bathroom door closed during ventilation in order to prevent the moisture from spreading through the rest of your home. If there is no window or mechanical ventilation, keep the bathroom door open whenever possible.
- If there is mould in your home, remove this immediately to prevent it spreading. You can buy a fungicidal mould remover at your local hardware store or drugstore.
- Dry your loundry outside when the weather is fine. Make sure that you use a spin cycle if you need to dry your clothes inside.