How to Determine If Your Home Needs a Ventilation System

Construction & Contractors Blog

Every home needs proper ventilation to allow for the escape of trapped humidity and for healthy air circulation. It's especially important that your home have good ventilation when you live in a very warm or very humid environment, as heat and humidity are then more likely to get trapped in your home, increasing your use of your home's air conditioning.

However, you may not realize that your home could use more ventilation if you're simply accustomed to heat and humidity or overlook the signs of trapped humidity in the home. This can lead to mould and mildew growth in the home, and other damage to building materials. Note a few of those signs of needed ventilation and then discuss these with a contractor or vent installer.

1. The bathroom takes a long time to dry out

After a shower or bath, you're likely to have some steam trapped along bathroom walls and even the ceiling. This moisture should clear out very quickly, usually within minutes, while the inside of the tub or shower surround might take just a bit longer. However, if you notice that the bathroom seems humid and uncomfortable even after those minutes have passed or the bathtub never seems to get dry at all, your bathroom fan or window may be insufficient for removing this humidity and your home may not have enough ventilation for it to clear out properly as well.

2. Foods seem sticky

Some foods will naturally stick together when your home has trapped humidity; this can include cereals, breads, and pet foods. If you notice that you're always having to separate these types of items, even when stored in thick bags or plastic containers, your kitchen may be trapping more humidity than can escape through a stovetop vent fan or the kitchen windows.

3. Moisture is collecting around windows and window frames

If there is moisture around the windows of your home, this can mean that the windows themselves are ill-fitting and are letting in humidity from outside. However, it's more likely that your home simply has poor ventilation so that heat can't escape, and humidity is also getting trapped; in turn, this moisture may cling to cold windows at night, and condensation forms. You may notice that your windowsills seem a bit damp or there is actually water running down the windows every time you open the blinds, but adding ventilation to your home can mean letting out this extra water before it damages those window frames.

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19 December 2016

Extending the patio

When we moved into the house we had a really cute patio, but it was so small that if more than two people wanted to share a meal or sit together there wasn't room. That's why I have been extending the patio and working on ways to make it more hospitable for the whole family to spend time out there, such as getting the music system to connect to some speakers in the structure. This blog has some tips for homeowners who are looking to attempt a patio renovation or extension and has some tips on which jobs to DIY and when to call in the professionals.