Why adding mechanical ventilation may be your best option for new and old homes
Whether you are someone who enjoys all the efficiencies of a newly built home, or the character and charm of an older home, it’s important to understand all the ins and outs of how your place is ventilated. With improvements in building codes and construction practices, new houses tend to be more airtight while older ones require renovations and upgrading to eliminate leakage and drafts.
New or old, according to Natural Resources Canada (nrcan.gc.ca), fresh air needs to be moved around the house, particularly to rooms with closed doors, such as bedrooms. Without proper circulation, fresh air might not reach all the rooms in a house, and can cause pockets of stale or moist air. Getting that proper distribution of air throughout a house usually requires fans and ducting systems.
Signs of poor ventilation
Natural Resources Canada explains that if "your house is stuffy, has lingering odors or has high humidity levels in fall and winter, it is likely your house does not receive adequate ventilation”.
They note that if you or your children have respiratory conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis or chronic colds, getting the proper amount of fresh air is even more important.
Naturally, we think that opening windows is the easiest way provide fresh air but you risk problems such as driving wind or rain wind, increased heating or cooling costs and even security issues. Natural Resources Canada suggests that using a mechanical ventilation system, such as an exhaust fan or a heat or energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV), can be more effective.
Additional ventilation helps
While providing a number of possible solutions, Natural Resources Canada points out that adding mechanical ventilation in addition to the required air exchanger, puts the control of household indoor air quality in the homeowner’s hands rather than having the weather dictate the air change rate within different parts of the house. They say it also allows for the house to be built or renovated to high air tightness levels that reduce heating bills and improve overall comfort, while ensuring good indoor air quality throughout.
Recognizing how indoor air quality can vary depending on the season, having a system that both monitors and adjusts to changing conditions takes the worry out of the whole process.
Why Humidex is a natural choice
Humidex moisture control and ventilation systems are designed to create cleaner, drier air year round by a three step process. They expel odors, excess moisture, mold spores and other pollutants from the downstairs where they are most concentrated. They replenish the air in the basement with a fresher healthier supply of air from upstairs, lowering the relative humidity. Ultimately, they ventilate the entire home with continuous air flow, extracting moisture that can cause structural damage, reducing biological grower of mold and mildew and achieving healthier air.
Even better, once installed, the automatic sensor controls provide continuous ventilation to maximize performance, energy efficiency and ease of operation 24/7.
