Why Wet Area Ventilation Is Important

Copyright (c) 2015 Matt Reardon

Today, the majority of our new homes are very well insulated and virtually air-tight. Whilst this could be viewed to be great in terms of being cost effective as far as energy bills are concerned, the flipside is that when your home is so tightly insulated, you will experience poor quality of indoor air.

Because your doors and windows are typically kept closed throughout the day, stale air and moisture which could carry pathogens and contaminants circulates inside your house and leads to various problems. This includes mildew and mould, health complications, peeling paint and ruined furniture. This is what makes it crucial that you take suitable steps towards improving the quality of your indoor air. This can be achieved through mechanical wet area ventilation.

Poor design of your wet area can greatly compromise your comfort, safety and convenience for the other building users and possibly lead to considerable structural house damage. The constant usage of the wet area, particularly for showering, bathing, cooking and drying your clothes, generates elevated levels of moisture. If left unchecked, the moisture will begin to condense as water whenever it comes into direct contact with any cold surfaces inside your home.

Besides causing structural damage to your quarters, condensation:

- May steam up your wall mirrors and glass windows.

- Creates room for potential fungal growth.

- Hastens weakening of your moisture-sensitive materials, such as fixtures and fittings.

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) has clearly laid down requirements to make sure that your house is constructed to be structurally sound, does not permit the ingress of any moisture or water, promotes a healthy environment and at the same time is energy efficient.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is the body that is accountable for the development of the Building Code. The ABCB updates and manages the BCA, to ensure that you're provided with efficient and cost-effective regulations. The BCA has set the benchmark for building construction through laying down acceptable minimum construction and design requirements based on the latest approved practices. The BCA addresses various aspects of house construction such as wet areas, laundries, bathrooms and WCs.

The good thing is that condensation within your house can be controlled by a good combination of heating, insulation and ventilation.

Passive Ventilation

Passive house ventilation through opening your windows satisfies the minimum BCA ventilation requirement if the opening area of your window(s) is on the minimum at least 5 per cent of your floor area. Cross-flow house ventilation from 2 windows located on different walls is certainly more effective although this may not be feasible in most situations. The main disadvantage associated with opening your windows, especially during the winter season, is that cold air from the outside also finds its way inside your home which has the effect of lowering your temperatures indoors.

House Heating

When you heat up your wet area, it has the potential of reducing air condensation as the air warms up, so utilizing house heaters in your wet areas can assist too.

Active House Ventilation

Utilizing a mechanical air ventilation system in your house is definitely the most effective technique of removing moisture from your wet areas. The most preferred method is employing a fan to bring in fresh dry air while another fan exhausts the wet and moisture laden air from your wet areas.

An excellent resource for additional information on ventilating your wet areas would be the National Construction Code Series 2012 Volume 2 Section 2.2 on Damp and Weatherproofing.


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Matt Reardon works in the home systems department of MouldBuster. His many years of guiding customers will prove handy when you meet with him at MouldBuster. To read more about Matt advice and their services logon to http://mouldbuster.com.au/wet-area-ventilation/ .