How to make ventilation in an old house?

Current investors building a new house have many different solutions at their disposal, thanks to which they can ensure proper air circulation inside it. In the past, however, there were significantly fewer such options, and designers did not attach as much importance to this issue as they do now. As a result, ventilation in an old wooden or brick house is usually worse than in relatively new buildings. So how can we improve its operation, and what should we do in a situation where the house does not have a ventilation chimney at all and the installation has to be done from scratch? More on that below.

Good ventilation in an old house – is it possible?

Regardless of the age or technology of the building, the effectiveness of ventilation is always the same - old, stale air must be removed from the interior and new, fresh air must appear in its place. The problem with poorly designed installations usually comes down to the fact that they supply too little air inside. Then you need to increase its supply. Fortunately, there is no shortage of solutions in this area on the market. The simplest and cheapest to implement is the installation of air vents. These are special mechanisms built into the structure of walls or windows, which, when opened, create new access routes for air into rooms.

Another way to improve air circulation and get really good ventilation in an old house is to use mechanical systems. In their case, the quality of the gravity installation already functioning in a given facility is not very important, because the whole thing is not based on gravity, but on an electric motor and fans. The first of these elements is placed within the central unit and is responsible for the drive. The second one is responsible for transporting air to the desired rooms.

It should be additionally noted here that mechanical ventilation has many advantages over its gravity counterparts. The key advantages include the fact that its operation is not dependent on weather conditions, as well as the fact that the user can exercise precise control over its operation.

When it comes to mechanical installations, installing ventilation in an old house can be made easier if it is equipped with a ventilation chimney. Then - in order to avoid the costs associated with purchasing all the necessary equipment - the fan can be placed in the chimney by first cutting an appropriately sized hole.

Lack of ventilation in an old house – what to do when there is no ventilation chimney in the building?

Without a properly functioning ventilation system, the living comfort of household members decreases significantly. Additionally, their risk of allergies and chronic health problems increases significantly. The building itself is also deteriorating as more and more moisture and microorganisms accumulate in its structure. The situation becomes worse the worse the installation functions. The complete lack of ventilation chimneys is therefore one of the most pessimistic scenarios that can be imagined. In such circumstances, immediate action is necessary. What?

Ventilation in an old house is possible even if its structure does not include a ventilation chimney. However, first you need to make sure that this is actually the case. Perhaps the chimney once existed, but it was bricked up during some renovation? If you have even a hint of such suspicions, it is worth contacting a chimney sweeper to determine whether they are true. A specialist will help you locate a possible chimney. Then it will need to be cleaned, unblocked and subjected to any maintenance, thus solving the entire problem.

However, if there is no ventilation chimney in the building, a solution may be to install an exhaust fan in one of the external walls. In such a scenario, you also need to ensure that air vents are installed in living rooms. Another way to supply air to the interior of the building is the so-called micro-ventilation, which involves opening the windows. Some investors simply cut out some of the seals for this purpose, but this is not a sensible action and can sometimes cause more harm than good. Instead, it is much better to use window vents designed specifically for such tasks.

Mechanical ventilation in an old house – the optimal solution

The solutions described earlier constitute a solution to the situation, but certainly not one that will result in fully effective ventilation in an old house. How to do it best? Our recommended option is to install the mechanical system described earlier. In such a case, the presence of a ventilation chimney is not needed at all, and yet the installation provides significantly better results than its gravity counterpart.