Do you 'air' your house?

RevolvingDoor

I have to air the rooms in my house daily, even in winter. I live in an 80's house and it is quite small compared to the draughty, high ceiling house I grew up in.

When I go to my m-i-law's house I feel like I can't breathe as she has it baking hot and airless all year round.:eek::rotfl:

rileydog

daisiegg wrote: »

My sister is absolutely petrified of spiders too but my grandad has made her bits of muslin that he has attached to the windows so they cover the gap when she opens the window - air can get in but spiders can't!

Thanks, I do have 'spider screens' on some of the windows but they're not foolproof so I only open the windows when I absolutely have to in the summer.

pollypenny

Yes, we open windows to get some fresh air. - not to the extent of letting expensive heating out, though.

lostinrates

rileydog wrote: »

So far people seem to air the house to prevent it feeling 'stuffy' rather than condensation etc I honestly don't think my house feels stuffy, except maybe in the height of summer. Maybe that's beacause it's quite a large house with big rooms? I guess if it was more compact my lack of 'airing' might have more of an impact?

We air for both reasons. We do have bad condensation, windows open clear this very quickly in the morning. Most of the year three of the upstairs windows are always open. And when we are home far more.

I have had a couple of down stairs windows specially made with locks so that next summer I feel safe leaving downstairs windows over night, in a part of the house unlikely to suffer from any condensation issues. Fresh air just feels nicer as well as being 'drying' for the inside.

moreofthegoodstuff

My flat is a nightmare, I have to dry clothes indoor but always keep the windows open but still get mould marks appearing on the walls around the windows (constantly have to wash them down)/spots on the curtains...and even when the windows are open there's condensation on them. I just don't think it's a very well built flat and it's never warm no matter how long the heatings on for. We just put up with it and try our best to keep it fresh!!

System

Do you have trickle vents in your windows? Opening them might suffice to keep damp from forming and let a tiny bit of air in, without letting bugs in too. Spiders like moist environments, I think, so it's better to keep the house as damp-free as possible.

ETA to answer the question, yes I do like to air my flat as much as possible, but at this time of year the wind howls around the building like Wuthering Heights, so the windows don't get opened as much.

System

My house is only aired when the central heating is off. Whats the point of opening the windows to let the warmth out?

The bathroom gets aired daily though.

melanzana

Don't want to upset the spider phobics, but them critters can get in through the bath drain. Don't think there is a u bend in the bath!

Anyhow, I live in a 50s house, well built. Vents in every room, and a new one where the gas boiler is. I always have the kitchen window open if I'm in there, winter and summer. Open the bedroom window on the security latch unless is hurricane time. NEVER have heat on in the bedroom, ever.

Dry stuff indoors in winter on a rack in the heated box room, laundry central!

Never had mould or condensation.

Torry_Quine

At this time of year windows aren't opened although the vents themselves are never closed. The only things which are dried indoors are those that can't be tumble-dried. Get some condensation but no mould or damp.

rileydog

melanzana wrote: »

Don't want to upset the spider phobics, but them critters can get in through the bath drain. Don't think there is a u bend in the bath!
.

Yep, I really should start leaving the plug in! They can get in through other nooks and crannies too but opening the windows is a risk that I don't want to take spider-wise!

avogadro wrote: »

Do you have trickle vents in your windows? Opening them might suffice to keep damp from forming and let a tiny bit of air in, without letting bugs in too. Spiders like moist environments, I think, so it's better to keep the house as damp-free as possible.

ETA to answer the question, yes I do like to air my flat as much as possible, but at this time of year the wind howls around the building like Wuthering Heights, so the windows don't get opened as much.

That's the thing, I don't have a problem with mould/damp/condensation despite the fact that I never air the house and always dry stuff inside etc That's what made me post really, I was wondering whether those people were talking nonsense about needing to air the house or whether I was just lucky - from the responses so far I think the latter as it seems the vast majority air their houses and presumably don't suffer from condensation etc

The windows do have those vent things at the top but I push them in as the gaps would be too tempting for spiders to sneak in through! I also have a plastic block the size of a letterbox high up on the living room wall which I think is some sort of vent brick?