We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you ... you're just helping re-supply our family's travel fund.
Whether you are remodeling your kitchen or making changes to your entire home, aesthetics should often get in the way of the real proper goals we should be getting out of our homes. Our homes should be a nurturing, safe sanctuary, but they should also be healthy. By “healthy,” we mean improving certain aspects of our hope that will guarantee a comfortable environment. This is why improving the airflow is so crucial, as adequate ventilation can remove stale air, reduce humidity, and eliminate indoor pollutants that can cause issues over time.
Many people living in homes with mold and other general issues find that they don’t notice they are a little bit under the weather all the time until they turn their home into a healthier haven. Let’s explore some practical points to enhance this crucial notion of ventilation in your home, so you can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy some fresh air.
The Right Components in the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of those areas where there is so much steam and condensation that can build up. It is the beating heart of your home, and therefore, you need to ensure you have the right things to allow fresh air to flow through and also get rid of cooking fumes and unwanted odors.
A vent hood, also known as an extractor hood, is a simple thing that can help to remove cooking fumes, steam, and unwanted odors, which will enhance the air quality. If you are someone who lives in your kitchen and cooks all day, every day (or when you get the chance), you need to think about the ongoing impact of condensation and steam, as well as those odors that can permeate into the property itself. This is why a vent hood and general ventilation can make a massive difference.
Open Windows Strategically
We should be opening the windows as it’s the simplest way to promote more ventilation in the home. Still, we’ve got to ensure that we do it in a strategic manner by opening windows on opposite sides of the home. We need to create a current of sorts that can get rid of stale air and breathe freshness into our home. When you open windows on opposite sides of the home, fresh air can flow through, which will carry away stagnant air and result in a constant exchange of freshness.
It’s always worth remembering that when we keep our windows closed, this can create what is known as a convection current where the air starts to circulate around a room. So, this means that we’re constantly breathing in this stale air if it is allowed to go around. By opening windows and promoting a cross-ventilation system, you’re going to feel far better in yourself.
Installing Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans are commonplace in bathrooms and kitchens and, depending on the state of your property, for example, if it’s an older home that houses mold and damp pretty quickly, exhaust fans could be the ideal solution here.
They can expel humid air and other associated pollutants, preventing the build-up of mold and mildew. We should also remember that while exhaust fans are an excellent solution, we need to maintain their upkeep and regularly clean them to ensure that they are operating as efficiently as possible.
Purchase an Air Purifier
Air purifiers are an excellent solution if you live in a particularly moldy home. They work by removing impurities from the air. If you live in a particularly moldy or damp property or there are walls causing you particular stress due to the sheer volume of mold and mildew, an air purifier is going to work wonders.
Many people think that an air purifier can be a particularly noisy and expensive item to run, but there are a number of fantastic air purifiers on the market that are whisper quiet.
Using Indoor Plants
Going one step further on the topic of purifying the air, indoor plants are a great option if you want to create better air quality. If you are someone who spends a lot of time away from home, meaning those windows are shut more often than open, indoor plants are an excellent solution to contribute to better air quality.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, making them natural air purifiers. Of course, there are also the benefits of having indoor plants on an aesthetic level. So if you place a variety of indoor plants throughout your home, you are killing two birds with one stone. When it comes to picking the right indoor plants, there are a number of excellent solutions, including Weeping Fig, Spider Plant, Chrysanthemums, and the beautiful Peace Lily.
Sealing Gaps and Leaks
If you have a number of drafts in the home, you might think that getting extra air into the property can improve your ventilation. Still, if you are looking to make your ventilation far more efficient, those unwanted drafts can compromise it. We should check for gaps and leaks in the doors and windows and seal them as needed because this is going to improve ventilation overall and enhance our energy efficiency.
Therefore, if you are looking to add an air purifier to your home, you need to make sure it’s doing its job efficiently. If you can seal gaps and leaks, this will result in lower utility bills, especially during the winter months when you need to keep everything closed for as long as possible.
Ceiling Fans
These are an excellent addition to your home’s ventilation strategy. A fan will promote air circulation, helping to make your rooms feel cooler during the summer. But they’re also of benefit in the winter because they can distribute heat more evenly. We have to remember that in the winter, when we have the heating on, heat will rise.
Therefore, if we don’t keep doors closed, we’re not creating that convection current. So the ceiling fans can distribute that heat more effectively. Make sure that your ceiling fans rotate counterclockwise in the summer and clockwise during the winter. This is because, during the summer, when the ceiling fan spins quickly in this direction, it pushes air down and creates a cool breeze. But in the cooler months, because warm air naturally rises, a clockwise setting will redistribute warm air that tends to accumulate towards the ceiling.
Look After Your Air Ducts
Your HVAC system should be clean without any obstructions, as dirty or blocked ducts will have an impact on the airflow. There are so many things that can get caught in the HVAC system. When we switch the system on and it distributes air all around the property, we could be breathing pollutants and other components that can increase the potential for allergens.
Looking after your air ducts is a very simple thing because all you need to do is clean it regularly or at the very least, have a professional look at it for you.
The task of getting more ventilation into your home is a combination of efforts, from the practical to the right design choices. By implementing these points, you can immediately enjoy improved air quality, which will have a benefit on your sense of well-being, and you will be more comfortable as a result. If you’re looking for the best ways to create a healthier and happier home, ventilation is something that you should never overlook. It is the breath of fresh air that we all need in our homes so we can feel our best.
Leave a Reply