Good ventilation of your home is important for your health. Good ventilation gets rid of bad air and brings fresh air in. You need to ventilate all year round, day and night. So that includes wintertime and in wet weather.
A poorly ventilated house can lead to headaches, cause chronic colds and make allergies worse. The elderly and children are particularly sensitive to contaminated indoor air and moulds. Plus the dust mite, a tiny insect many people are allergic to, thrives in damp environments.
Ventilation and savings
With proper ventilation, you can save money. That’s because the air in a well-ventilated house is drier. And dry air heats up better and faster than damp, polluted air.
Keep air vents open, 24 hours a day
Good ventilation means keeping air vents open day and night and/or leaving windows open a crack. Clean your air vents regularly with the vacuum cleaner and never tape them shut. When you ventilate properly, you prevent condensation on the windows and patches of black mould. Be sure to ventilate in winter too, and when it’s rainy and wet. Outdoor air is usually cleaner and drier, even when it’s wet outside.
Some houses have self-regulating air vents. When wind blows against it, the vent closes somewhat. When the wind dies down, the vent opens again.
Extra ventilation for gas boilers and heaters
Do you still have a gas boiler or gas heater in your home? Let us replace it as soon as possible with a new installation. Call us at: (075) 627 5000.
If you have a gas boiler or gas heater, ventilation is extra important. A well-ventilated area reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. When using the gas boiler, for example when your take a shower, we recommend opening air vents or windows wider.
Using manual mechanical ventilation
You control manual mechanical ventilation yourself with a switch. With this kind of mechanical ventilation, you regulate the airflow settings yourself. Did you just take a shower? Are there a lot of people in your home? Have you got washing hanging to dry? Or are you cooking? Put your mechanical ventilation at a higher setting. Never turn off the ventilation system.
Using automatic mechanical ventilation
More and more houses are being built with automatic mechanical ventilation. The system decides itself how much to ventilate. Are there a lot of people in the house? Or is it damp? Then the system extracts more air. Never turn off the ventilation system.
Difference between airing and ventilating
Ventilation means that the air in your home is refreshed day and night. 24 hours a day contaminated air is forced outside and clear air is brought inside.
Airing means that you open your windows or doors for cross-flow of air. Airing is no substitute for ventilating. Airing is a good idea if you want to get rid of a lot of bad air quickly. Airing is also good whenever a lot of moisture is released inside. For example during or after cooking or showering, or when you hang washing inside to dry. You can turn the heating down when airing your house. You can prevent excess moisture in the bathroom by using a squeegee, cloth or towel to wipe down the walls and floor.
Damp and mould
If you don’t ventilate your house enough, you can get problems with rising damp and mould. But there may also be structural or other technical reasons for damp and mould problems. We believe it’s important for you to live safely and comfortably in your home. That’s why we take every report of (rising) damp and mould from tenants seriously.
What can you do yourself to prevent damp and mould problems?
Make sure you ventilate your home properly. That means keeping the air vents open day and night and/or leaving windows open a crack. Clean your air vents regularly with the vacuum cleaner and never tape them shut. Other handy tips:
- After showering, wipe down the walls and floor.
- Cook with a lid on your pans.
- Ventilate more after cooking, showering or doing chores. For example by opening a second window or setting the mechanical ventilation system on high.
- Also ventilate more when you have a lot of visitors.
- Hang washing outside to dry whenever you can. When you can’t, make sure that the area is well ventilated.
- Heat your home properly and evenly, including the bedrooms. A daytime temperature between 18 and 20 degrees is best, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. Turn the thermostat to 15 when you go to sleep or leave your home. When the indoor temperature falls below 15 degrees, condensation can form on the windows and rising damp can damage the walls and ceilings. This can cause black mould to form.
What to avoid at all costs
- Never tape air vents shut. Even when it is cold outside.
- Never turn off the mechanical ventilation.
How to remove mould
The Municipal Health Service advises removing black mould in the home. This is how it’s done, according to the Health Service:
- Open the windows and put on rubber gloves, if you wish.
- Put some water and soda in a bucket.
- Take a cloth, dip it in the bucket and wipe away the mould.
- Rinse the surface with clean water.
Other methods:
- Use a mould remover. Read the directions for the product. Some surfaces are not suitable for mould remover products. Ventilate the area well afterwards.
Report damp and mould problems in your home
Are you ventilating your home every day, but you still have mould problems? Report this to us immediately. We will come by to see whether we can fix the problem. We will also look for what’s causing it. This means we can choose the right solution.
Do you have damp and/or mould problems in your home? Call: (075) 627 5000 or report a problem using the button below.