Ventilation is key in making sure your house is full of clean air whilst keeping your living space cool. Here is our guide on how to improve ventilation in a room and enhance air circulation in your house.
What is ventilation?
Ventilation refers to the process of exchanging indoor air with fresh outdoor air, reducing indoor pollutants, moisture, and odours. It’s an important part of maintaining a healthy and comfortable living environment. By allowing air to circulate freely, ventilation systems help ensure that indoor spaces remain fresh and well-oxygenated.
Why is it important?
Having good ventilation is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it improves the air quality within a room or building, which is essential for the health and well-being of occupants. Good ventilation reduces the concentration of pollutants, allergens, and excess moisture, which minimises the risk of respiratory problems and other health issues. Additionally, it helps regulate temperature and prevent the build-up of unpleasant odours, allowing for a more comfortable living environment.
What are the effects of poor ventilation?
Poor ventilation can lead to a range of issues which can impact both the structure of the building and the health of anyone living there. With poor ventilation, moisture levels can rise, leading to mould growth and structural damage. The build-up of pollutants and allergens in the air can increase the risk of respiratory conditions, allergies, and discomfort among occupants.
How to improve ventilation in your home
Let’s look at some ways you can improve ventilation in your home.
Air conditioning
Air conditioning systems are a great method of improving ventilation, especially in enclosed spaces where natural airflow is limited. By circulating and filtering the air, these systems remove pollutants and control humidity levels, contributing to a cleaner and more comfortable indoor environment. It’s important to regularly maintain and clean air conditioning units to make sure they function efficiently.
Extractor fans
Extractor fans are excellent for removing excess moisture and odours, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms where moisture and odours occur regularly. By actively expelling polluted air outside, extractor fans help prevent mould growth and reduce humidity levels, significantly improving indoor air quality.
Ventilation fans between rooms
Installing ventilation fans between rooms is an effective way to improve air circulation throughout your home. These fans help distribute fresh air evenly, ensuring that no area becomes stagnant or overly humid. They are particularly useful in homes with limited natural airflow or in spaces where creating new openings for windows or doors is not feasible.
Temporary ducts
Temporary ducts can offer a flexible solution for improving air circulation in areas that lack permanent ventilation systems. They can be particularly useful during specific times of the year when the need for additional ventilation increases, such as in summer or if you are dealing with dampness. By directing fresh air from the outside into less ventilated spaces, temporary ducts help enhance overall air quality and comfort.
Leaving doors open
Leaving doors open inside your home is a straightforward way to improve air circulation. This encourages the flow of air between rooms, reducing the chance of stagnant air in isolated areas. It’s particularly effective in homes where the layout may restrict airflow. Leaving your doors open as much as possible can help to maintain a fresh and healthy indoor environment.
Opening windows
One of the easiest methods to increase ventilation in your house is by opening windows. This allows for the exchange of indoor air with fresh outdoor air, naturally reducing the concentration of indoor pollutants and moisture.
Installing opening skylights
Opening skylights can transform a room by providing both natural light and a means to ventilate spaces effectively. They are particularly useful in rooms located on the top floors of a home or in areas where traditional windows might not be practical. By allowing warm, stale air to escape through the roof and fresh air to come in from outside, skylights can improve air circulation effectively.
We offer a range of opening skylights, ventilated skylights, and smoke vents and access hatch rooflights. Get yours to improve ventilation today.
Fans
Fans are another good way to improve air circulation within homes. Whether it’s ceiling fans, stand fans or window fans, these devices can help distribute air throughout your living spaces, keeping them cool and well-ventilated. Fans can be particularly effective when used with other ventilation methods, such as opening windows, to move the fresh air throughout the house.
Using perforated building materials
Using perforated building materials in your home’s design can help improve natural ventilation. These materials, which include perforated bricks, blocks, and panels, allow air to flow through them, allowing passive air exchange.
Passive vents
Passive vents are a simple and effective way to improve air circulation without the need for mechanical systems. These vents allow air to move freely in and out of your home, using natural pressure differences to create ventilation. These are great for areas where conventional ventilation methods are difficult.
You can learn more about the types of roof vents in our useful guide.
Evaporative coolers
Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, offer an energy-efficient method to cool and ventilate your home. By passing outdoor air over water-saturated pads, these devices cool the air through evaporation, which increases ventilation as they draw fresh air into your home. This method is great for dry climates, providing a comfortable, moistened air flow that improves overall air quality.
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers can improve ventilation by reducing excess moisture in the air. By extracting water from the air, dehumidifiers help maintain optimal humidity levels, making your home more comfortable and preventing moisture-related issues. Though not a direct method of ventilation, dehumidifiers complement other ventilation strategies by ensuring the air remains fresh and healthy.
How Toughened Glass Systems can help
Toughened Glass Systems offers a range of window solutions that can help increase ventilation in your house. From ventilated rooflights to smoke vents & access hatch roof lights and more, there are plenty of options we can offer in terms of windows that can improve air circulation in your house.
We also stock a wider range of rooflights and skylights, including:
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FAQs
What’s the difference between active and passive ventilation?
Active ventilation involves mechanical means, such as fans or air conditioning systems, to move air in and out of a building, while passive ventilation relies on natural forces like wind and thermal buoyancy to facilitate air exchange.
How do you stop condensation on windows?
To prevent condensation on windows, it’s important to manage indoor humidity levels and ensure proper ventilation. Using dehumidifiers, improving natural ventilation, and ensuring that heating is evenly distributed throughout your home can significantly reduce condensation.
Learn how to stop condensation on roof lanterns in our helpful guide. You can also discover how to insulate your windows to keep out heat here.
How long does it take to air out a bedroom?
Airing out a bedroom can take as little as 15 minutes with a reasonable amount of cross-ventilation. Opening multiple windows or using fans to encourage the flow of fresh air can quickly replace stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
Should you open your windows in winter?
Yes, briefly opening your windows in winter can be beneficial for air quality. Even a few minutes of ventilation can improve indoor air quality by allowing fresh air in and pollutants out. However, it’s important to balance the need for fresh air with energy efficiency, especially in extremely cold climates.
Learn more about rooflights and energy efficiency in our helpful blog.