Sub Floor Ventilation: How It Works And The Advantages
Copyright (c) 2015 Matt Reardon
Ventilation of sub-floors in Australia is very important and is comprehensively documented in the Australian Standard 3660 as well as in the Building Code of Australia. Adequate ventilation facilitates air movement in your building sub floor space. This helps in cutting down on air stagnation and expelling musty smells.
Ventilating your sub floor is among the most suitable ways of protecting the foundation structure of your house. Because moisture problems in your sub floor often bring pest infestation, it thus would make a lot of sense to put a stop to rising levels of moisture. In particular, with good ventilation, termites and wood decay are kept at bay.
Factors Contributing To Inadequate Sub Floor Ventilation
Factors that would contribute to the build-up of moisture levels that are abnormally high are quite many.
1. Insufficient drainage and leaks in your plumbing are usually two main culprits. This is because water contained in soil around your sub-floor will areas evaporates to condense on your cooler floor surfaces.
2. When this build-up of condensation goes very high, your timber flooring gain moisture, thus getting exposed to the risk of rot, decay, and mould and fungi build-up.
3. Having properly installed ventilation in your under floor helps in reducing all the above factors as well as in improving your home's overall health.
It is vital to note that even when your house is elevated from ground level, it may not necessarily mean it has sufficient ventilation down in your sub-floor.
Some Possible Causes Of Inadequate Ventilation Are:
- Blocked drainage pipes. - Patios or paths made of concrete flooring blocking the air vents. - Lack of sufficient cross flow of air.
Managing Ventilation
In Australia, house ventilation comes under the purview of the National Construction Code Series (NCC). Volumes 1 & 2 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) are part of the NCC series and being aware of what you are expected to adhere to is recommended.
There is certainly more than just a single method of correcting your under-floors ventilation challenges.
When you install fan forced ventilators or passive wire ventilators, you will be assisting in creating suitable levels of cross flow and helping in removing sub floor musty smells. On top of that, you will be cutting down on growth of mould and fungi in your crawl space.
Keeping the under floor area well aired also greatly eliminates the risk of attacks by pests and termites. The biggest advantage of passive ventilation is that it does not require intensive maintenance and the cost of running it are minimal.
The Advantages Of Adequate Ventilation Are:
A) Improves overall well being of the house and those living in it as it reduces growth of mould and fungi. It also reduces wood rot, fungal decay and musty smells.
B) Potential pests and termites attacks are eliminated.
C) Sub floor dampness is reduced as ventilation brings in fresh air.
Ventilating your sub floor is a very effective method of keeping your house protected and family healthy. If you wish to have your house fitted with a modern system of ventilation, it would be best if you contracted the services of professional tradespeople who are conversant with BCA Ventilation on Standards.
About the Author
Matt Reardon and the team at Mould Buster are always looking forward to your visit. Matt's experience will give you the best possible outcomes. The goal is to make sure you only get the best at http://mouldbuster.com.au/sub-floor-ventilation/ because your satisfaction matters most.
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