How to Increase Air Flow in Your Home
Air flow should be one of the most important considerations in any house design in Newcastle – after all, it can make a huge difference to how you interact with your home.
Introducing the correct air flow or ventilation gives your home a chance to breathe, reducing the risk of bacteria and mould developing. It also ensures passive cooling, which in turn reduces the need for artificial air sources, increasing your energy efficiency. As custom home builders in Newcastle, we’ve seen a huge range of techniques employed in order to ensure the right amount of air flow. Here are some of our favourites.
1. Window Positioning
As one of the main sources of air, it’s essential to design your windows so they encourage a natural flow of air. Consider the orientation of your home and the dominant breezes, as well the climate, time of day and landscape.
In coastal areas such as Newcastle, wind usually comes from an onshore direction, so you should consider placing windows in areas that can direct this into relevant rooms. The height of your windows is also important – make sure to install them at least 1 metre high as this will reduce the heat load on your ceiling.
2. Window Design
As with any element of a house design in Newcastle, there’s a huge range of design potential for windows, all of which can affect how much air actually makes it into your home.
Casement windows, which replicate the movement of a door with a hinged frame, are one of the most popular designs, as they are incredibly effective when fully open, and can restrict air flow when closed or ajar. Other options include louvre, sliding and double-hung.
3. Keeping It Dry
Mould and bacteria love the damp and a wet environment, so it’s essential to ensure all traditionally wet rooms are well-ventilated and given opportunity to dry in between use. In designing your bathroom, kitchen and laundry, ensure there are multiple forms of ventilation to reduce the risk of these contaminants developing. This includes windows, fans, solar chimneys and skylights.
Convective ventilation, which takes advantage of temperature differences in air, could be a fantastic solution. Higher openings allow warm air to escape (as it rises), while lower openings let cooler air through.
4. Emphasising Open Spaces
Air won’t be able to flow through your home if it keeps hitting a wall, so open spaces are a must for successful ventilation. As custom home builders in Newcastle, we can guide on the designs that will best facilitate a continuous flow through both your common areas, such as dining, living and kitchen, as well as bedrooms and bathrooms. These considerations will allow air to both enter and exit your home, resulting in a consistently fresh feel.
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At Homes by Elite we understand the importance of air flow. Get in touch with our friendly team today to find out how we can increase air flow in your home!