Ventilation: As important as glazing, Heating, Insulation: All together Now….

Featured Image: Mechanical Ventilation for Householders in Housing Association Homes

Since the New Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2019 superceding the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1985 came into effect in England and Wales. 

The whole country has been considering the way we plan, build, refurbish, insulate, heat, glaze and insulate homes. You Gov has been hot on the trail to understand the views of householders in housing association and privately rented housing about heating, ventilation, mould and damp

But it’s not just social housing, it’s all the buildings we’re building and have built over (at least) the last couple of hundred years.

We’ve begun to realise though that this problem affects everyone: we live in homes that haven’t been well insulated, we don’t heat, glaze or insulate them as well as we could and the impact on our health.

Whether we live in an over heated, or draughty, mouldy, environment Britain is a draughty country and, as the climate is changing, this is a problem we need to resolve, with and for everyone.

Atmosphere inside and outside our homes can improve if we want it to.

We spend 95% of our time inside buildings so the atmosphere around us at home as well as at work is really important. Recent Europe wide research found that air quality inside was up to 3.5 times worse than outside.

It’s a balance: inadequate ventilation can mean you use more heating than you need, this causes a build up of humidities producing pollutants, mould and damp. These often trigger allergies and respiratory reactions. 

Traces of Benzene can often be found in furnishing materials and polymeric materials such as vinyl, PVC and rubber floorings, as well as nylon carpets and SBR-latex-backed carpets. Benzene is also present in particleboard furniture, plywood, fibreglass, flooring adhesives, paints, wood panelling, caulking and paint remover.

New buildings or recently redecorated indoor environments have been associated with high concentrations of benzene from materials and furniture though the rate of emission of benzene from materials and furniture decays and eventually reaching a quasi-steady emission rate in new buildings within weeks or months or up to a year

Inadequate ventilation can also lead to a build up humidity and other airborne pollutants so indoor spaces become a breeding ground for pollutants, mould and dampness triggering respiratory problems and dust mite allergies. 

Often householders think the problems can be solved by turning up the heat when actually with a balance of insulation, ventilation and use of heating is at the heart of a healthy home environment.

In MTVH’s report from householders 2023 when discussing ventilation most people mentioned that windows, doors, air vents or extractor fans either did not work or were missing. Draughts allow uncontrolled air into spaces and can be the cause of heat loss in the home. 

A lack of extractor fans, on the other hand, can lead to a build-up of condensation which can lead to damp and, in turn, mould. 

Ventilation removes stale, humid air from a building and replaces it with outdoor air, ensuring there is fresh, ‘clean’ air available for occupants to breathe. 

Control of impurities and moisture in the air

Improving ventilation helps expel impurities like pollutants, particulate matter, chemicals, moisture and odours from the indoor environment. Gas stoves, chemicals from cleaning products, air fresheners and other household items can all contribute to indoor air pollution that needs to be filtered out.

Effective ventilation also removes moist air, reducing the risk of damp and mould caused by condensation. Damp conditions caused by condensation can also cause certain surfaces to deteriorate and even rot. 

Temperature and comfort

As poorly ventilated rooms become more crowded or temperatures rise, the lack of ventilation can lead to stuffy indoor spaces which are unconformable for occupants. Mechanical ventilation can help replace stale air with fresh air and can also be integrated into air-conditioning, controlling both the temperature and humidity. This improves overall air quality and indoor comfort for individuals. 

Health benefits 

Home ventilation has a significant impact on the health and well-being of householders. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to lung diseases like asthma, COPD and lung cancer.

Ventilation helps to remove pollutants and allergens that exacerbate these issues. Improved air quality can also reduce fatigue and improve alertness and cognitive function. Stale air can contain low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide, making people feel tired or contributing to headaches and dizziness. Installing and using ventilation systems effectively removes the pollutants and gases that contribute to these adverse reactions.