This week in the Examiner, Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes discusses ventilation and how to handle dampness in your home.
Q. We replaced our windows and got the outside insulated. I open the windows every day. Yet clothes are damp coming out of the wardrobes. Is this normal?
One of the benefits of external insulation of course is that it allows you to add a considerable amount of insulation to your home with minimal disruption, while keeping your blockwork external walls as a heat store, similar to a storage heater (they take longer to heat but retain heat for longer). I would also advise checking to ensure you also have adequate insulation in your attic too — 300-400mm of modern quilt insulation is advised.
It is disappointing to hear that clothes in your wardrobe are damp. This likely means that there is not enough air circulation in your home.
Let’s dig a little deeper here…
As you have now installed new windows, I am not sure if you have installed airtightness tapes around the edges. I am also unsure if you have had window vents fitted.
It would appear that the house needs to breathe — particularly at night when people are sleeping in these rooms, as your old windows likely were allowing some level of air passage due to their age, and the new windows are likely better sealed.
This, along with the fact that they may not have vents fitted and may be sealed at the edges, means there is less air being circulated in your home and any moisture can build up, particularly on absorbent fabrics as you have indicated.
View full article in The Examiner here.
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