The closer we get to winter, the more important it becomes to ensure that your home has good ventilation. We know that sounds a bit counterintuitive. Shouldn’t enduring a Kiwi winter be all about making sure your home is properly sealed against the cold and damp?
In a way, yes. But ventilation is also vital during winter. You can’t open your windows to let fresh air in without also dropping the mercury a few degrees inside, and a lack of circulating air can have its own negative effects during deep winter.
We don’t want you dealing with condensation, mould, or just the stagnant feeling of stale air for the next three months. To make sure your ventilation is up to scratch, we’ll review the top signs of poor ventilation we’d expect to see in a home that needs a new system. We’ll also explain how a new air ventilation system for home can help to combat those signs.
It sounds a bit dramatic, but yes, your windows might get a bit tearful. This is one of the most common poor ventilation signs, especially in Kiwi homes.
We create moisture just through existing. We cook, we shower, we breathe; all of this creates moisture that – in a poorly-ventilated home – has nowhere to go. That warm, drifting vapour hits the cold glass and immediately turns back into liquid water, dripping down and seeping into your windowsills and curtains.
While annoying when you wake up each morning, the long-term impact is significantly worse. The constant moisture can cause rot in your home’s structural beams, which can be quite pricey to fix.
Many, many Kiwis know the look of dark mould spots appearing in out-of-the-way corners. Mould absolutely loves three things: darkness, stillness, and moisture (all of which the cold season is more than happy to provide). Many older Auckland homes fall victim to this entry in our list of poor ventilation signs.
While it’s a bit of an aesthetic pain, the bigger concern is your health. Breathing in mould spores isn’t great for your respiratory health, especially if someone in your home has allergies or asthma.
Strong smells sticking around for a long time are another one of our poor ventilation signs. When you think about it, it makes sense: when air moves, it carries smells with it. If the air inside your home isn’t moving enough, smells will stick around for longer than you might expect.
Ideally, an air ventilation system for home should be cycling air out to make room for fresh air, so there aren’t any of those lingering smells you might be (involuntarily) getting used to.
That’s not just the winter blues. Sometimes, the best indicator of how well-ventilated your home is can lie in your own bodily signs. You might notice you start to feel a bit unwell at home. Maybe you wake up with a stuffy nose, a dry throat, or even a slight headache that clears as soon as you step into fresh air.
That’s the thing about ventilation. It’s so invisible, but the concentration of CO2 and indoor allergens in a poorly ventilated home increases with reduced airflow. This can quickly lead to a sort of heavy, lethargic feeling building up in your body.
If you are recognising any of these poor ventilation signs in your home, then there is a good chance you’re struggling with the same lack of ventilation that plagues many older Kiwi properties (or in new builds where ventilation wasn’t much of a consideration).
Good news: there’s a way to solve it without completely overhauling your home.
Now, modern Kiwi homes are built to be incredibly airtight to keep them nice and warm. That’s excellent for your power bill, but it’s tough on your indoor air quality. Older homes, even though they’re often a bit more ventilated by sheer virtue of their age, often struggle more with dampness that’s tough to clear without the right system.
For both issues, the answer is a dedicated air ventilation system for home. It’s essentially a new set of lungs for your home, cycling fresh, sun-warmed, filtered air in from your roof space into your living areas.
This creates what we call ‘positive pressure’, forcing the old air out through natural cracks in your home (even the most well-sealed home has them). If you get one, you will immediately notice:
All that, just from getting your home breathing again. Ridding your home of poor ventilation signs is a huge load off your mind, protecting the bones of your home and your lungs at the same time. Not to mention, it creates a much more comfortable living space!
So, if you have spotted any of these poor ventilation signs around the place, don’t let the mould take hold. Consider an air ventilation system for home balance; your home (and future you) will thank you.
We are Snowden Electrical, a team of expert electricians specialising in positive pressure air ventilation and heat pump installation. We’ve been taking care of the Bay of Plenty for over 30 years, and we’d love to help you get your new system humming. Get in touch today.
