With this unseasonably warm weather, it is high time we open out windows and take advantage of some cross ventilation!
You know our mantra, right? Build tight, ventilate right. Smart. We think that if you properly utilize architecture and construction practices, you can achieve a very energy efficient, comfortable and healthy home. Ventilation is super-important in your home. Take for example a home that has a mold problem and everyone who lives inside has chronic respiratory infections. You would want to get rid of the mold problem and flush the home to make sure that the folks inside weren’t getting sick anymore. You wouldn’t want to put a cloche over them and say, night night. That isn’t how it works. Having proper ventilation to prevent problems like that from happening in the first place is imperative. When you aren’t in a place to have to introduce mechanical ventilation systems, you go the old-school route… cross ventilation, which can be just as effective and smart!
The Daily Green gives us a dose of a scoop on why cross ventilation is a smart way to take advantage of good design and what the earth has given us. They have done a good job of defining this wonderful building concept as when “breezes enter through a window or vent, bringing fresh air, while the pressure difference on both sides of the building pulls stale air out an opening in the other side. The key, of course, is to have open windows (or vents) on opposite sides of the structure.” Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it is!
Why cross ventilation is a smart way to save some money and cool off:
- It removes indoor pollutants- which are typically higher inside than they are outside
- It is free.
- It is easy.
- We all have access to it- ahem, if we have windows.
Certification Programs dig on Cross Ventilation, too.
With LEED you will get points for utilizing cross ventilation points after you get past a certain tightness level. With Passive House design, there is no specific mandatory level for cross ventilation, but there is a mandatory ventilation level which can be achieved either mechanically or through cross ventilation. Even EarthCraft will acknowledge cross ventilation in design plans to grant points for this design concept as a great energy saving model. If you think you might need some assistance with your home’s ventilation and energy efficiency, let us know, we’re happy to do an energy consultation and help you identify what is causing the issues you are encountering!
