In the past, when we still lived in sod huts, we didn't have to worry about it. And it was no problem at the draughty farms where we moved in afterwards. But what about the air quality in our homes these days? Are you ventilating enough? And why is ventilation in your home so important?
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Where in the past houses were always full of cracks and crevices, that is now different. Nowadays airtight houses are strived for during construction. Handy, because at least that way the mice stay outside. But that also applies to the fresh air. And that is precisely what is so important to us. According to research, people spend an average of 85% of their time indoors. Especially in the Netherlands. More than 70% of that time indoors is spent in one's own home. So the air quality there is more important than you might think. And ventilate your home too! And did you know that ventilation also helps to save energy? You can read more about this below.
Fresh air, I hear you think? No problem; Shall we open a window? But airing is not the same as ventilation. Airing (or opening a window or door) is a good addition to ventilation. And it works great for getting rid of bad odors. But airing cannot replace ventilation. Ventilation is a constant exchange of air. And you can read why that is so important here.
A lack of ventilation can lead to health problems. If you have little ventilation in your home, this leads to high humidity and a high concentration of polluted substances. Like particulate matter, for example. You may know this mainly from traffic. But you will also find particulate matter in your home – especially if ventilation is foreign to you and also if you don't smoke. Did you know that baking a bacon pancake causes 5x more fine dust in the house than is the norm? This is even more dangerous for children. So if you want to educate green, pay attention to ventilation in your home. Because polluted substances, as well as high humidity, can seriously affect their health. Children are 3x more likely to have health problems in a damp house.
Do not skip the nursery when ventilating! Children and older people are still a bit more indoors than average. And it is certainly important for them that the indoor climate is good.
Are you not yet convinced of the usefulness of ventilation? Then we can sprinkle with some doomsday scenarios 😉 . We do not assume that a lack of ventilation entails health risks. Not ventilating your house can lead to headaches, shortness of breath and chronic colds. In addition, you are more likely to develop skin disorders, lung complaints, concentration problems and irritated eyes. And last but not least :it also produces unpleasant odors and mold. No need of? Then there is only one solution:ventilation!
Only opening a window in your home is therefore not ventilation. For good ventilation of your home, it is important that the air in your home is continuously refreshed. If you leave your windows open 24/7, you can speak of ventilation. That's good for fresh air, but less convenient for your energy bill. Ventilation grilles and exhaust and supply ducts also provide fresh air. We call this natural ventilation. However, since the 1980s, more and more use has been made of mechanical ventilation. The extraction takes place in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Window grilles provide extra ventilation. You may even have such a system at home. There is also one problem with this:how do you clean those systems? I myself have a few of those dust grids at home. They are not really convenient to clean.
Fortunately, today there are even more ways to ventilate your home. How about a radiator that not only regulates the temperature but also the air quality? Nowadays, ventilation systems are regularly built into radiators (including at Jaga and Vasco). That saves another device, and the heating of your home is perfectly matched to the ventilation. Something for you? You don't have to ventilate for the costs either… Although some people prefer not to ventilate for fear of higher heating costs, that reasoning is wrong. If you don't ventilate, your house will become increasingly humid. And a damp house is more difficult to heat. Do you want to keep the baby's room at the right temperature? Then ventilate! Can you also just breathe a sigh of relief when the energy bill comes!
