Benefits of a well ventilated home

We spend between 80-90% of our time indoors so ensuring a consistent flow of fresh air is vital. The importance of good ventilation is clear as soon as you enter a room. Last night’s stew might have been delicious at the time but you don’t want the stale smell of broth lingering in the air. You adore your family pets but their various smells are far more manageable when balanced with a healthy and fresh airflow. Besides the obvious atmospheric benefits, good ventilation is essential for our health and well-being. Poor air quality is the fourth most deadly health risk worldwide after high blood pressure, poor diet and tobacco use. And, of course, if members of your household smoke or vape, it’s another excellent reason to ensure your home has plenty of fresh air. 

Good ventilation means replenishing stale indoor air with fresh, outdoor air. This can be done by simply opening a hatch, door or window or through mechanical ventilation. Without proper ventilation to eliminate pollutants, the air quality can deteriorate rapidly, causing discomfort and potentially resulting in health problems. Proper ventilation ensures a constant supply of fresh air, promoting a healthier indoor environment for cooking, dining, socialising and enjoying everyday living. Good ventilation also protects your house or apartment from moisture and mould, helping to ensure it remains a safe and comfortable home for longer.

Moisture is the lifeblood of mould, and unfortunately our homes provide plenty of opportunities for it to thrive. If your bathroom isn’t well-ventilated, steam from hot showers, sinks and baths will linger long after the taps are turned off. Before you know it, this excess moisture has accumulated on walls, ceilings and fixtures, creating the perfect breeding ground for mould growth. Not only does this look unsightly, but mould exposure can cause a raft of health problems including shortness of breath, respiratory problems and skin rashes. These issues can become very serious for people with immunity problems or who have asthma. 

The key to mould prevention is regular air ventilation. This can be done either by opening the windows for at least 10 minutes three times a day, or you can have mechanical ventilation do it for you automatically.

Building owners (such as those managing apartment buildings) should make sure their buildings have high-quality mechanical ventilation to secure the long-term health of their investment and its occupants. This is the responsibility of the owner and should not be left up to tenants to manage.

Fresh air is important to all of us. When you or your family suffer from allergies or respiratory conditions, indoor air quality becomes critical. Common allergens like dust mites, pet hair and pollen can accumulate in stagnant air, triggering allergic reactions and exacerbating health conditions. By incorporating mechanical ventilation systems or natural airflow strategies, homeowners can effectively reduce allergen concentrations and improve indoor air quality for all occupants.

We’ve all had days where our sense of well-being has been negatively affected by a stuffy or unpleasant-smelling room, or vastly improved by a fresh-smelling and airy environment. As mentioned above, we spend up to 90% of our time indoors. Lack of access to clean air and proper ventilation can make it much harder for kids to concentrate whilst doing their homework or enjoying their hobbies. If people in your household work at home it can also present challenges with maintaining focus. More generally, lack of good ventilation seriously affect our motivation, stress levels and overall mental health.

Adequate circulation of fresh air within the home reduces the persistence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. VOCs, which emanate from everyday household items like carpets, furniture, paints, aerosols and disinfectants, release chemicals that can impact indoor air quality. In fact, research from the United States Environmental Protection Agency discovered that levels of around a dozen common organic pollutants are two to five times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. 

Mitigates risk of carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas emitted by appliances burning gas, wood and candles. What many people don’t realise is that the most common source of CO2 is humans and pets breathing. In fact, an average size dog produces 770kg of CO2 emissions every year!

Notably, CO has neither color nor odor, which makes detection very challenging. Good ventilation will help reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning though it’s a good idea to fit detectors around the home and to test them regularly. 

Our sense of smell is closely tied to our perception of comfort and cleanliness. Unpleasant odors from cooking, cleaning products, or off-gassing from furniture and building materials can linger in our homes, which impacts both you and your visitor’s enjoyment of the space.

Anyone who has decorated a room will know how quickly we get accustomed to the smells of paint, wallpaper paste or varnish. We mentioned the once-enticing dinner smells earlier and it’s worth noting that cooking is also a common source of indoor air pollution. According to researchers at the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, particles emitted from cooking account for approximately 30% of indoor fine particulate matter so it’s not just stale smells we need to worry about.  

Naturally, you want your home to be as welcoming and attractive as possible.  Effective ventilation systems help to disperse persistent odors, replacing them with fresh air and creating a healthy environment your friends look forward to visiting. 

Most of us could do with saving a few pennies these days and we all want to do our bit to tackle climate change. It may seem counterintuitive but good ventilation can actually help improve energy efficiency in any indoor space. Fresh air is drier than muggy, stale air and takes less energy to warm up so you can still open doors and windows without worrying about unnecessarily increasing your high heating bills. Moreover, efficient ventilation prevents the accumulation of moisture and pollutants. Mould and damp can cause serious damage to building components and materials over time, so keeping them dry preserves the building value in the long term - more on this shortly. 

Investing in effective ventilation not only enhances indoor air quality but also supports a more sustainable and cost-efficient approach to energy management. However, it's important to choose the right mechanical ventilation systems for your needs in both the short and long-term. While they provide consistent airflow and can enhance energy efficiency, you want to ensure highest levels of comfort without unnecessarily increasing energy bills. It’s also important to keep in mind that if the ventilation comes from heat recovery mechanical ventilation, the exhaust air will heat up the inlet air, which saves energy. Many homeowners opt for MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) which uses a small amount of electricity and actually recovers energy during use.

Finding your ideal home ventilation solution
As you can see, the benefits of a well-ventilated home extend far beyond comfort—they are rooted in science and have profound implications for our health and well-being. It’s all about finding ventilation solutions that are effective all year round and that protect both our health, our homes and our wallets, long into the future. 

From indoor climate control to MVHR, the best ventilation solutions are designed to enhance energy efficiency and protect structural integrity. They should only require minimal maintenance and provide plenty of design flexibility. Whether you're looking for more even heat distribution, better airflows, reduced dust, or full zone control, we can help. Contact our team today to find out how we can improve your home ventilation, ensuring maximum comfort and sustainability while reducing environmental impact.