26/04/2021
Reasons Why Your Home Needs Good Ventilation
To remove condensation which causes damage to the home
A recent My Health My Home survey found that 58% of homes experience condensation. Everyone knows what condensation is, but what causes condensation and what can be done about it?
If you have ever noticed the droplets of water that form on the outside of a canned drink when you take it out of the fridge, then you have seen condensation at first hand. The reason why this happens is all to do with temperature, air, and water vapour. The temperature on the surface of the can is reduced as air passes over it. As the air gets cooler its relative humidity rises and the water vapour turns into moisture. The air passing over the can is unable to hold onto the moisture which ends up as droplets running down the side of the can’s cold surface.
This is what happens in thousands of households across the nation when the temperature drops inside the home, especially at night-time when the heating is turned off. The air reaches the point where it can no longer hold onto to all the moisture that we create in our homes and it migrates to the coldest surfaces - windows, walls and behind furniture - where it appears as condensation or the more familiar sight of streaming windows.
Condensation is most noticeable in winter because there is a large difference in temperature between the inside and outside of the home. That means once the heating is turned off the inside temperature drops quickly and soon reaches the point of 100% saturation. As the air cools further, some of the water can no longer be held in the form of invisible water vapour and begins to form liquid droplets. Condensation is the most common form of dampness and will eventually lead to mould growth. If it is left to develop over time then damp patches may start to appear on walls, which means that wallpaper may peel, and ultimately black mould will grow. This leads to musty smells, damage to the fabric of the house and it can even result in health problems.
To make a healthier living environment and reduce asthma.
Did you know that damp and mouldy conditions can be major triggers for asthma?
If a home does not have an adequate ventilation system and humidity is high, this can provide a perfect breeding grounds for dust mites. These dust mites and their airborne detritus thrive in homes that are not effectively ventilated. When their detritus encounters the skin or is inhaled, it can cause allergic reactions, resulting in asthma attacks, eczema, watering eyes, itching, sneezing and a runny nose. These issues can be significantly reduced with an effective ventilation system and some asthma sufferers have seen immediate benefits when such a system has been fitted in their homes. So let’s have proper ventilation in our houses.
