Ventilation
Concepts
Today
much is said about ventilation, not because it's a new phenomena
but because homes, and buildings in general, are sealed tighter.
In the
past natural ventilation existed as a consequence of the building
technology employed, houses had air gaps around timber doors
and windows with fixed plaster wall vents allowing for volume
displacement and less plastics and synthetics were used in
the home by way of furniture and furnishings.
Ventilation
is not about currents of air cascading down corridors but
a means of air washing the stale air out of rooms, and out
of the home, in a proportional and positive manner.
Trickle ventilation by natural displacement. A balance is
struck, only as much as is needed, no more, no less, with
the added advantage of being able to adjust the ventilation
flow.
The most
common indicator of ventilation being required is when odours
are sensed on initial entry into the house. Whether summer
or winter, oxygen replenishment by way of ventilation, is
essential to family well being.
Obviously it is desirable to keep loss of heat, during the
winter months, to a minimum but the analogy 'you have to lose
a little to gain a lot' is apt here. A balance of exchange
is essential so as to maintain better air quality in the home.
Asthmatics
are probably the most natural human indicator as to the air
quality in a home by nature of their innate sensitivity.
To filter
the air is something done where the particulate or offending
matter is identified as being detrimental to the individual
and is therefore removed, however by filtering the air people
are less able to cope with general ambient with the individual
being slowly consigned to live in a bubble as the development
of natural resistance is being inhibited.
Nature,
is a case of gaining one thing at the expense of another
Air quality
is easily overlooked because it has no visual presence but
discomfort can be easily sensed when that feeling of well
being is interfered with, just as you always notice when a
house has a 'good feel' about it.
Using
natural ventilation is how this exchange is implemented, without
artificial 'switched on' means such as fans for either ingress
or egress.
Architects
and designers employ natural ventilation techniques and building
processes that essentially enable a house to aspirate, to
breathe, to ventilate, using products and incorporating them
into the overall composition suitable to this end.
The unfortunate
thing is that when budget constraints arise the first things
to be discarded are the pro active items, and very often at
the request of the client, and not the architect or designer.
It's the
simple things that have the biggest impact and one of the
simplest is the ceiling vent or register.
Much is
said about eating the right foods, keeping fit, weight down,
less preservatives and organic produce.....very little, if
any, is said about air quality in the home.
Added
to this is the mind set of those who believe one product is
the same as any other that shares the same word description
despite the obvious difference in the design and materials
used. When they are forced to accept the reality that it isn't,
they claim deception.
The overall
reality is this, there will be fewer trades people able to
repair or service products in the future particularly if those
products are made to a price and are short term.
The cost of good trades people will be high and ever increasing
The future
cost of replacement will continue to rise, and the chances
of repairing of the product being non existent particularly
if the product is not designed to be repaired.
So when
considering products with which to build your home, let quality,
and not price, be your governing factor. Do without until
you can afford something of known reliability or history
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