Frequently asked questions

HUMIDITY WITHIN THE ROOM DURING THE BUILDING PROCESS:
While the newly built structures dry out, very large amounts of moisture are released from the internal plasters and cement screeds. Improper ventilation can result in the so called "winter damage". The moisture (steam) penetrates through the weak points of the construction (e.g. through the surfaces of the glass panel grooves), condensates and increases the humidity of the timber well over 30%. As a consequence, the window is difficult to open and the joined elements can become damaged and can make the windows more vulnerable to the timber damaging mould attack. In extreme situations, blisters can form on the external side of the window-pane. Some of those blisters can even be filled with water. Such damage can be prevented by proper ventilation during the plastering and finishing works, e.g. by opening the windows for ventilation on a regular basis.

HUMIDITY IN THE LIVED-IN ROOMS:
Steam is a non-toxic, odourless gas, which is constantly produced in large quantities in the lived in interiors (the 4 person household produces around 8 to 15 kilograms of steam every day, what is an equivalent of around 10 000 to 19 000 litres). To ensure a healthy and a pleasant environment within the house, the rooms have to be properly ventilated. This is the only way to safeguard the home from mould and the damage caused by moisture.

2. What is the best and the most effective way to ventilate the rooms?

Here are a few useful hints:
- ventilate only the single room; while airing several rooms at a time, do so for a short time only (for maximum 3 minutes), only to allow the complete exchange of the air;
- ventilate the room actively only when it is lived in. In other circumstances, the air flow through the natural opening shall suffice;
- very popular ventilation method, based on the idea of keeping the windows ajar can often lead to an increased rate of the air exchange within the room, as the amount of air coming into the room is often underestimated; as per the long time ventilation, keeping the windows ajar only makes sense outside the heating season;
- in winter it is sufficient to keep the window ajar for maximum 7-20 minutes every hour;
- the suggested room ventilation method, through the fully opened window, for around 4-6 minutes gives great energy savings, providing the room are ventilated systematically;
- continuous ventilation can be successfully achieved by installing the adjustable and controlled ventilation units; one such unit is sufficient for an average size room;
- for all methods of active ventilation, through a fully open window, the time when the window is opened depends on the outside temperature. The colder the outside temperature, the shorter the ventilation period can be, as the heat loss becomes more intense.