There is more to a well-made home than just an aesthetic look and feel. A house should have air flowing freely through it to keep the atmosphere fresh and pleasing. In olden days, the placement of windows and doors in the house were on opposite or adjacent walls which would provide sufficient cross ventilation.
However, modern homes are designed to have smaller rooms and air-conditioning facilities, that result in cramped spaces with contaminated air filled in. Hence, it becomes extremely important to have a design with efficient ventilation that could be used to bring in the fresh air inside the home for at least a few hours a day.
Listed below are some simple solutions for creating efficient cross-ventilation in your home.
Multifunctional Skylight
A skylight can be incorporated to bring in natural light and brighten up space in a dark and gloomy room. A skylight can be designed to open up easily to bring in fresh air and light from outside into the room. The skylight can also be left open in the night to enjoy the view of the stars in the sky.
Folding Doors
Instead of windows, accordion-style folding doors can be used in the living room or bedroom to have a view of a garden or balcony. The folding doors can be completely opened to maximize the ventilation besides connecting the interior to refreshing greenery outdoors.
Shuttered Windows
In apartments in an urban area, where rooms open directly into a neighboring unit, residents hesitate to leave their windows open as it takes away the privacy. An efficient alternative is to open windows is by using wooden window shutters as a second layer to the glass windows. This helps in keeping the outer glass layer open to bring in the fresh air, while the slats in the shutters help to maintain privacy without comprising on ventilation.
Dutch Door
For safety and security purposes, leaving the back door open all day for ventilation, even if it faces the back yard. Instead, installing a Dutch door with horizontal division will be a great idea. The top half of the Dutch door can be left open to bring in the fresh air, and the bottom half serves as a protective barrier.
Protective Grills
Since it is not secure to open up all the windows and doors for cross ventilation, fix a strong metal grill outside the window. This helps to leave the windows and doors with a grill to be open throughout the day to enjoy the fresh air and the view.
Protective Mesh
For the feature of mosquitoes and other flying insects getting inside the house, the homeowners hesitate to keep their doors and windows open throughout the day. Installing doors and windows with protective mesh is a simple solution to stop the insects from getting inside the house. This helps in enjoying the fresh air without worrying about insects getting inside.
Brick Lattice or Ceramic Screen
Wall partitioning an indoor garden or internal courtyard, installing a perforated ceramic screen, or building a brick lattice structure for the wall as a partition is a great idea that helps in an ample supply of fresh air entering the home throughout the day and night.