The 2022 round of changes to English Building Regulations for ventilation (Part F) and the simultaneous introduction of guidance on overheating (Part O) have shone a light on the need to enable a healthy flow of air and control excessive heat gain in our homes. Good ventilation helps to reduce moisture and condensation issues, support occupant wellbeing and can even provide an element of cooling on hot days. But with average UK temperatures on the rise, do you need to do more to maintain a comfortable and healthy environment in your home? Here’s a look at some of the options that could help you do just that.
1
A
dd background ventilation
Essentially, background vents provide a small opening in the fabric of the building to allow air to pass in and out, thus delivering a fresh supply. The crudest way to do this is to literally bore a hole through the wall, make good and cover it with a grille. It’s not pretty and is only suitable for buildings that are already pretty leaky – but if ventilation is all you’re looking for, it’ll get the job done. Trickle vents (see point 2) are technically a form of background ventilator.