The Benefits Of Having Sub-Floor Ventilation In Your House

Copyright (c) 2015 Matt Reardon

Ideally, all homes ought to be constructed with sufficient subfloor or crawl space ventilation, although this is however not always the case. With the passage of time, our gardens have probably grown and often blocked the venting that had been designed to offer that needed air flow. Whenever there is poor or inadequate air flow and consequently poor ventilation, you may need to force the airflow using some form of sub-floor ventilation.

The Building Code of Australia (Vol. 2) requires that your sub-floor between the ground and the suspended floor to be suitably ventilated. This cuts down sub-floor moisture helping in the prevention of timber decay. This will in addition prevent attacks by termite attack which thrive in moist and damp places. It is recommended that unless where full chemical or underfloor physical barriers are provided, sub-floor clearance ought to be provided to facilitate regular inspection.

To avert the weakening of the timber floor construction, sufficient ventilation ought to be provided to your sub-floor area. Moisture coming from the ground should not be permitted to cause unnecessary dampness or weakening of your building elements. Specifically, Volume 2 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) has stated that the clearance from the ground surface to the building underside should not be below 150mm.

How Does It Work?

The most basic of crawl space ventilation are vents that are put in place when you're constructing the house. Nevertheless, even this kind of passive vented ventilation may at times not be sufficient in keeping your sub floor from becoming damp. The best solution in most cases is achieved through supplementing passive ventilation with fan based ventilation system.

Underfloor fans which are efficient draw off and then externally exhaust all the damp air from your house utilizing pumps and fans which are specially made for that purpose. These may be customized to suit your house floor plan and specifically target the damp areas you want targeted like the subfloor. The Architectural Science Review Volume 53, Issue No. 2 of 2010 points out that it is important for you to ensure that the strategies you adopt in ventilating your house also have a positive general environmental impact.

The Benefits Of Ventilation

- Limits House Structural Damage

A subfloor that is damp could lead to structural house damage. Good ventilation aids in ensuring the healthy timbers employed in building your home, remain healthy and strong, not decayed.

- Limits the Growth Of Mould

For moulds to thrive, damp conditions are needed. When these start to grow in your subfloor, they could lead to health complications problems like triggering respiratory reactions. They are known to bring along congestion, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, asthma and allergic reactions.

If anybody in your house suffers from a weakened immune system, moulds could pose a more serious medical risk.

Sufficient ventilation of the sub floor that contributes to the reduction of the damp in the air beneath your house limits mould growth.

- Protection Against Termites

Termites are attracted to conditions that are damp like those presented by poor ventilation under your house. The risks are higher where the timbers already have begun to decay or rot.

Good ventilation ensures that your house remains less susceptible to termite attacks.


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MouldBuster is a recognized name in Australia in matters ventilation. Matt Reardon, who works at MouldBuster, will give his expert opinions for your ventilation concerns. For more information about BCA and the AS complied visit http://mouldbuster.com.au/sub-floor-ventilation/ .