They just don’t build homes like they used to — and when it comes to efficiency, that’s a good thing. New homes with airtight construction are easier to cool and heat so you don’t waste money. But when it comes to indoor air quality, it’s another story. The tighter the home’s construction, the worse the indoor air quality, as stale air gets trapped and fresh air can’t get in. That’s why adding some type of ventilation to a home is so important.
But if you’re not up for installing one of the more elaborate types of ventilating systems, and just want to ensure there’s better spot ventilation in certain places in your home, exactly which rooms should you concentrate on?
Key Rooms to Ventilate
In general, the rooms that need ventilating the most are the rooms where we typically generate moisture: bathroom, kitchen and laundry room. These rooms often harbor too much moisture as your family goes about showering, flushing, washing clothes and dishes and cooking on the range. Without ventilation, these areas can become a haven for mold, mildew and fungus.
And in the case of the kitchen and the bathroom, bad or stale odors can also be a problem, hanging around with no place to go.
How to Ventilate
While ventilating a room can be achieved by opening a window slightly, be aware that your HVAC system will not run as efficiently, and you’ll also be allowing humidity inside in the summer.
For some homeowners, the answer may be installing a ventilation system in these rooms and a range hood, exhausted to the outdoors. A ventilating fan will not only eliminate mold and bad odors, but also can help clear up fogged-up windows and condensation.
Exhaust ducts should be run into the attic and through a sidewall to the outdoors, through the roof or down through a soffit. Never exhaust into an attic or crawl space, as the moisture could promote mold.
At Jackson and Sons, we can help you understand ventilation fan systems and other home comfort solutions. We service eastern North Carolina with their HVAC needs.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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