Ross and Witmer Winter is a time when many homeowners resign themselves to stale indoor air and general dinginess, right up until they can throw doors and windows open and sweep out clouds of dust in spring cleaning. But just because windows can’t be open wide, there’s no reason not to get fresh air. Ventilation is just as important in inclement weather as it is in fair weather.
There are plenty of reasons to keep ventilation in mind:
- Properly ventilating your home shunts out unhealthy air pollutants, such as radon and formaldehyde.
- Exhausting indoor air and bringing in fresh air helps to control indoor humidity.
- Ventilating your home reduces indoor odors, cooking fumes and other trapped smells.
- Well circulating air can ease respiratory irritations such as allergies.
- Venting air properly is essential in keeping your home safe from carbon monoxide.
So how do you meet your fresh air requirements when the weather outside is frightful? Follow these strategies:
- Seal your home against air leaks so that you aren’t losing warm air where you don’t want to be. When air escapes through gaps in your walls, it may carry moisture which can gather inside the walls and encourage mold growth.
- Install spot ventilation in trouble areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where high moisture and odors require additional attention.
- Ask your HVAC professionals about a heat recovery ventilator. These systems transfer heat energy between air exhausted from your home and air brought into your home: in the winter, they transfer the heat of outgoing air back into the incoming air, ensuring minimal heat loss. In the summer, they can transfer heat from the hot outside air into the air that’s being blown out of your home, minimizing heat gain.
- Consider whole-house ventilation solutions. These do an excellent job at keeping fresh air circulating through all of your living areas, and can help to balance the air pressure inside your home.
To learn more about how to ventilate your home through the coldest months of the year, contact Ross & Witmer today! We’re proud to serve our Charlotte, NC neighbors.