Enhancing natural ventilation in our homes

Experts say a clerestory on a house acts as a vent thus improving air circulation.

One of the compelling ways to improve air quality as well as lower the energy costs in your home is through natural ventilation.

If you have been having a lot of heat in your home, where you have to always have a running air conditioner system (AC) or electric fans in your home, this could be as a result of poor ventilation.

John Matovu, an architect from Infrastructure design, says a poorly ventilated house always has running ac or fans to cool down their rooms.”

He continues to say natural ventilation can be achieved through windows, louvers, vents and also doors. He adds that there are other ways of having natural ventilation such as the use of transoms, grills in the house but windows, louvers, vents and doors play a big role.

Natural ventilation is a method of allowing fresh outdoor air into living spaces without the use of mechanical systems such as air conditioning systems (AC) and electric fans.

Natural ventilation simply uses the wind to bring in fresh air into the house, and oxygen for respiration.
An architect from Architect Consult, who preferred not to have his name in the media, says, using mechanical systems such as AC and electric fans, costs more than a one-time investment in natural ventilation.

He adds that these systems use electricity, require proper maintenance, which is more costly than when one simply adheres to the basic proper ventilation of a house.

“Natural ventilation is more achievable when you have both vents and windows in the house,” says the architect.
Gracious Baluku, a dealer in imported air conditioners, says one air conditioner can run from Shs1m and above which is expensive but one does not need to incur those costs if the house is well ventilated.

Natural ventilation consumes less energy than when one uses an air conditioner or fan which use a lot of energy.
Dr Emmanuel Okullo, says “air conditioners after working them for a couple of years sometimes they start to leak and if the leakage is not taken care of, it could leak on either wooden floor or carpeted floor and that could encourage the growth of molds, which would be harmful to the health of the people particularly in that house.”

Frequent opening of windows
Joseph Yusuf, an engineer from Kaburu Okelo consulting engineers says “the frequent opening of windows is one of the ways that can help your home have fresh air.”
However, Yusuf says it all starts with the architectural design, if it is bad, then you will not have natural ventilation.
To avoid all this, one should hire an expert.

Window height
Rwashema Wycliffe, an architect, says windows should be at least installed at 3.6 feet high to enable air circulation in the house. He says this helps in reduction of heat from the ceiling.

Cross ventilation
Matovu advises against having windows on the same side of a room. He explains that when windows are just on one side, there will not be cross ventilation, which draws in good air flow into the house, and lets bad air out.
He adds that when windows are on different sides of the house, there will be good air flow especially in the morning.

Vents
Matovu says windows and doors should have permanent vents above them.
“Vents on top of windows and doors always help, in circumstances when you have closed up the curtains where they are blocking the entrance of the air, but when you have vents on top, then the air will still have where to pass,” explains Matovu.

Having a clerestory
Duncan Mushabe, an engineer, says one can also have a clerestory on one side of the house to act as a vent, which helps in improving the air circulation.

He explains that when the warm air rises up, it will go through the clerestory which in this case acts as a vent. Clerestories are usually found on church buildings but one can also have it on their house.
He adds that when windows are being put up, the user of the home should have ease when opening the windows.

Opting for natural ventilation
It consumes less energy than a mechanical ventilation.
It is less costly unlike when you use mechanical ventilation that needs to buy the equipment, needs money to pay for installment, needs maintenance which is also costly.

You do not have to worry about molds that result due to leakage of an AC.
There is minimal maintenance needed. It allows more transparency and light in the house. You let in fresh air.
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