The air you breathe inside your home directly affects the health and wellness of your family.
Everything you do inside the home will have an impact on the indoor air quality from aerosol sprays, laundry, and what you are cooking in the oven and on the stovetop.
Learn more about the five top reasons why your home needs good ventilation.
Indoor ventilation should be a top priority for your household and one way to achieve good indoor air quality is through ventilation from a well-made ventilation system that is designed to prevent airborne contaminants.
Why ventilate the home?
There are several reasons why your home needs good ventilation including to create a healthier environment and reduce asthma, to reduce damage causing moisture, to reduce allergy symptoms, to reduce Radon gas, to reduce odors and buildup, and to lessen the effects of VOCs.
Create an overall healthier environment with good indoor air quality
Clean air in the home takes some effort. You would be surprised how your health is being impacted by contaminants, food particles, and dampness.
Dampness, for example, becomes worse when there is not sufficient airflow, and when impure air is not being moved outside, while clean air is let in.
If your home is damp, this can create mould which can severely impact people living with asthma and other breathing conditions.
Dampness also attracts dust mites, and these little guys will cause or trigger several health problems from eczema, to watering eyes, and a constant runny nose.
To reduce moisture that causes damages
Many homeowners have noticed condensation around their homes and think nothing of it, but it can become a serious concern if it starts to cause damage to your belongings.
Condensation is caused when the air gets cooler and water vapours turn into droplets. This happens in the home, especially at night.
The moisture in the air turns into water droplets, and we all know that water in the home is not ideal, even as small drops.
Condensation is usually seen on windows and doors, and behind furniture, and it causes mould. Mould is dangerous to breathe in and leaves behind several health problems.
In addition, mould has a foul odor. Also, if left untreated, the condensation and moisture can cause serious damages like soft spots in the floor and walls, and it can ruin paint and wallpaper.
Ventilation will reduce the chance of mould as it moves the stagnant air and keeps the air quality clean and fresh.
Reduce allergy symptoms
The end of summer is terrible for allergies, and anyone who suffers from hay fever knows how miserable it can be to be affected.
If you suffer from severe allergies, you may not even enjoy going outside until allergy season is over.
A proper ventilation system means you do not need to open the window for fresh air. This will significantly decrease the effects of the allergies.
Even an adequate ventilation system can help to filter out pollen and other outdoor particles that contribute to the severity of the allergic reaction.
Controlling these particles and pollutants in the indoor environment can have a significant impact on the severity of allergies and can make the summer much more bearable for sufferers.
Reduce radon gas
There are places in the world that are affected by naturally occurring radon gas. It is usually caused by decaying uranium.
Although it is colourless and odourless, it is radioactive and produces particles called Daughter of Radon that can be carried in the air.
If you inhale these particles, they stick in your airways and even get in your lungs.
Radon exposure is linked to a high amount of lung cancer cases, between 3-14%. This is obviously exposure you want to avoid.
A ventilation system can help to filter out these impurities. If you know or suspect you live in an area that has Radon exposure, typically areas with high levels of granite, you should get your air tested.
A positive input ventilation system is your best bet to reduce these harmful particles and keep your family safe.
Reduce VOC’s in the Indoor Environment
VOC’s are harmful pollutants that come from several products such as aerosol spray cans, cosmetics, cleaning supplies and paint strippers.
Some experts say that there are up to 900 times more pollutants inside when compared to outdoors.
If you do not have proper ventilation and regularly spray air fresheners, pans coated in Teflon, and use a lot of cleaning supplies, all of those chemicals and contaminants do not have time to escape the home.
A proper ventilation system will keep the home’s air quality at much healthier levels.
Reduce food odors and build up
If your household cooks a lot of food, you may be damaging your home with food build up.
Cooking a lot of greasy, fatty, or stir-fried meals releases food particles and debris that lands everywhere around the home from the cupboards to the drapes and furniture.
In addition to splatters, it creates a grime or residue that is unpleasant to touch and degrades the quality of your belongings.
Food odors also linger in the home and can become an unpleasant smell over time if fresh air is not allowed to come into the home while stagnant and smelly air is filtered or released.
Ventilation in the kitchen is usually achieved with a range hood.
Ventilating the home is important for many reasons, from minor inconveniences like bad smells and grime, to serious concerns such as reducing your risk of lung cancer.
Home ventilation should be a priority for any household that is concerned about their health, and even more so for individuals who are already experiencing the symptoms of poor ventilation such as increased allergies, runny eyes or nose that will not stop, and worsening asthma.
Proper ventilation will also keep the condensation and moisture levels down in the home, decreasing damages and the possibility of mold.
These are all great reasons why your home needs proper ventilation for a healthy, safe, and damage-free indoor living space.