Ventilating properly in the winter

This is the area we spend most of our time, and it’s normally heated to a comfortable level. Ideally, the air humidity level in your living room should be between 40% and 60%. You will need to open the windows wide on a regular basis and heat the room correctly to achieve this.

Most people like to have it a bit cooler in the bedroom. However, air humidity levels in these rooms can be significantly higher than in other areas of the house because of sweating and respiration. If you don’t heat the bedroom at all, you’re at risk of mould. Try to ventilate this room thoroughly in the morning and evening.

Along with the laundry room, these are usually the dampest rooms in your home. Showering and cooking create a lot of water vapour to get rid of.

Basements are particularly damp areas and are usually left unheated. Unless there’s frost on the ground, you should keep the windows in the basement open a crack at all times to facilitate the flow of air. When the weather turns cold, we recommend opening the windows in the basement wide at regular intervals.

These areas tend to have relatively high humidity levels. As a result, they need to be ventilated and heated even if they are rarely used. In fact, the same goes for any room which you use only rarely – never let them get completely cold to avoid heat bridges and condensation.

Insulated lofts are very effective at trapping heat, so keep the heating to a minimum and ventilate on a regular basis to keep moisture levels down. If your loft isn’t insulated, it will be very difficult to heat. On the other hand, it won’t need to be ventilated as often.