Without realising it, your everyday behaviour produces moisture which collects in your home. This could be simply from breathing, or from a more obvious activity like boiling your kettle. More worrying is the potentially harmful pollutants that can be released from your heating and cooking appliances. Over time, these can cause extensive damage to your building, as well as your personal health.

Well-ventilated homes need not worry about moisture or pollutants building up, yet for many of us, checking ventilation isn’t a high priority. Whether you live in a new house or an older building in need of an upgrade, you shouldn’t ignore ventilation when assessing the health of your home.

Are There Warning Signs?

Heat and moisture tends to rise, so checking your attic and ceiling space is the best place to start. Physical warning signs in your décor like bubbling/peeling paint or evidence of mould and mildew are clear indicators that there is too much moisture in the building.

The structure of the building could also be suffering from increased moisture levels, with wooden beams becoming rotten or metal fixings beginning to rust. It goes without saying that this threatens the structural integrity of the whole building.

You should also look to your own health for clues. Poor ventilation can cause a range of symptoms – most of these are very mild, but some can have serious implications. Breathing difficulties can be caused or exacerbated by mildew or increased humidity, while poor concentration and headaches can be bought on by air that is high in carbon dioxide and low oxygen.

What Steps Are Already In Place?

If you have none of the above warning signs then that’s very good news, as you’re unlikely to yet have structural damage caused by condensation. However, this doesn’t mean that you necessarily have good ventilation.

Having air conditioning or heating installed doesn’t automatically mean that you have adequate ventilation built into these systems. Mechanical extraction systems work well in the short term in humid environments such as bathrooms, but these will have little effect on the rest of your house, especially your loft space. Because of this, you ideally need to have a well ventilated roof as well.

If you aren’t aware of any means of ventilation in the building, and have no warning signs, then you are ideally placed to be proactive and prevent damage from occurring.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Prevention is always better than a cure. By the time the damage from inadequate ventilation presents itself, it is often quite far advanced and requires remedial action, which could cost you a lot of money. It’s better to assess the health of your home early on, identify any ventilation problems, and take action before problems develop.

What Can You Do To Improve An Existing Building?

There are several types of mechanical extraction which will effectively pull in fresh air. They involve using extractor fans, or they pump fresh outside air into the house. These can be expensive to install, as well as presenting you with an ongoing energy cost. Having a fan pulling in cool outside air may also not be desirable in winter.

Increasing ventilation by installing roofing vents is a far better option, because once installed you don’t have to pay ongoing costs or invest in maintenance. The vents will allow a natural circulation of air 24 hours a day. Even if you have a fan you should also consider your roof ventilation, because the effectiveness is fairly limited to the room that the fans are placed in.

Metrotile’s steel roofing systems have a range of compatible vents to improve the air flow in your house, effectively preventing problems from occurring. Vents can be incorporated into existing roofs, or included in the design of new roofing systems. A ventilated Metrotile roof combines the advantages of a strong and lightweight metal roof with a healthy airflow to protect both your house and its inhabitants.

For more information about how our roofs can help your home stay healthy, call us on 01249 658 514.