Sub Floor Ventilation – How Does It Work?

One of the biggest issues in many houses is damp. Research shows that living in damp conditions will increase the likelihood of an array of diseases, this makes it detrimental to the health of you and your family.

In addition, damp can get into the structure of your home, encouraging instability, as well as an array of internal issues.

How Damp Occurs

There are several ways in which water, and therefore damp, can get into your home. In Sydney Leaking roofs, bad plumbing, and overflowing gutters are some of the more common issues. These allow water to sit on the walls of your home, slowly penetrating and bring with them issues such as wood rot and mold, for which the help of subfloor ventilation sydney will be necessary to solve all these problems in your home

But damp can also come from underneath. Most homes have a gap under the floor, this stops your home from sitting directly on the floor. However, this area can also become a magnet for moisture, particularly after heavy rain and the soil under your home becomes saturated.

This moisture then travels into the foundations of your home and upwards, creating health and safety issues in your home. The dampness of this area is also attractive to an array of pests, including termites which will eat your house from under you.

The gap under your house exists to remove this moisture, but sometimes it needs a little hand.

Sub Floor Ventilation

You’ll notice most houses have vents at the bottom of their walls, these allow air into the space under the floor. The theory is that the dry air around the home will push the damp air out from under the house, removing the water in the process.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work, which is why you need sub-floor ventilation fans. These work by sucking the dry air in, which forces the damp air out other vents.

Alternatively, the fans can push the damp air out, allowing dry air to come in through the other vents.

Both arrive at the same conclusion, the damp air is removed, helping to protect your home from moisture attack.

It is worth noting that the air tends to be dryer outside during the daytime and has a higher water content in the evening and overnight when the temperature drops.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to run the subfloor ventilation fans in the daytime, shutting them off overnight.

Of course, you don’t want to have to remember to do this every day, it is advisable to set them on timers. You can even use solar panels to run them in the daytime, effectively keeping your home damp free for nothing!

After all, a solar-powered system will only run when the weather is dry and sunny, ensuring dry air is being pushed under the house.

Don’t forget that for any subfloor ventilation system to be effective you need to keep the vents clear on each side of the house. It is also a good idea to cover the vents with a fine mesh, this will prevent creatures from entering under your home and causing damage.

For other nice ideas of how to install or improve your flooring, check here.