A mouldy home isn’t just one that doesn’t look or smell inviting, but is also one that’s unsafe.
Dampness and mould are a real curse, and if left untreated, they can have a significant impact on the health of anyone living inside the property. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to combat such issues, and ventilating your home properly, is one of the most important.
Poor ventilation can lead to increased moisture in the air, which in turn, leads to the formation of mould and damp patches. To help stop damp and mould accumulating in your home and impacting the health of the whole family, try these ventilation tips from PIV Systems Birmingham:
- Install fans or extractor units
In rooms that frequently deal with high levels of humidity, such as the bathroom or kitchen, try installing fans to circulate the air, or an extractor unit.
- Open windows
While it isn’t always possible to open windows and allow air from outside to circulate inside your home, when you can do it – particularly after taking a shower or cooking, for example – it can help eliminate damp and prevent mould from growing on walls and other areas.
- Install trickle vents
These enable air to come into rooms even when they are fully closed, and will stop condensation from becoming a problem on both windows and walls.
- Ensure your loft is ventilated
Whether you have vents or a rooflight installed, it’s very important to ventilate your loft by giving hot air somewhere to escape from, and allowing fresh air to come in and circulate.
- Clean the vents in your home
If you don’t want to clean the vents in your home yourself, you can always a company to do it for you, but it’s something you should do if you want them to keep working efficiently.
- Monitor humidity levels
Mould and mildew are highly likely to form wherever humidity is present in a home, but on the flipside, too little humidity can cause respiratory problems and dry skin. With the help of either a humidifier or a dehumidifier, a ventilation system with a component for checking humidity levels, or manual checks, you can keep a closer eye on humidity levels in your home, and do your best to rectify them when they get too high or too low.
- Have a mechanical ventilation system installed
This is a costlier but highly effective method of eliminating damp and mould from a building, and you can opt for either a positive input ventilation system (PIV), or a mechanical extract ventilation system (MEV). For the former, a fan is installed in the loft to help draw air into the building and circulate it throughout your home, while the latter involves the installing of fans in a number of rooms around the home, to extract stale, moist air.
Which ventilation system will work best for your home depends on several different factors, including its layout, how old it is, and of course, your budget. To help you determine whether a ventilation system is the right option for you and your home, and if so, which type to choose, it’s best to get your information straight from the horse’s mouth. Instead of making up your mind based on what you’ve read online, schedule a non-obligatory consultation with a company specialising in damp resolutions in Birmingham and ventilation systems, and take it from there.
Adequate ventilation holds the key to a home that’s free from unsightly and unhealthy mould and damp, all year round, and is definitely something worth investing in.