Window Flow 101: How to Best Circulate Air in Your Virginia Home

Getting the air properly circulated in your Virginia home helps to keep your house feeling cool and comfortable year-round. By opening your windows, you’re allowing fresh air into your home which reduces humidity, preventing the growth of mold and mildew, and helping to keep your indoor air quality relatively healthy. There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding how exactly to open your windows to get the best results when you are looking to circulate air. They include:

• Knowing which way the wind is blowing
• Understanding how airflow may change due to obstructions near your windows
• Factoring in things such as allergies or unpleasant smells
• The layout of your home

Wind Direction

This may be one of the most important things that go into figuring out which windows to open to get decent air circulation in your house. If you open windows that aren’t directly facing the wind, your airflow is going to be severely reduced. The wind does almost all of the work for you in circulating your home’s air. All you need to do is give it a way into your home, then give it a way to get out. Only opening windows on one side of your house, even if it’s facing the wind, will not do much for circulation since the air pressure inside the home will naturally repel the fresh air. Find out which way the wind is blowing and open windows that face the wind, then open windows on the opposite side of your home for maximum airflow.

Window Obstructions in Virginia Homes

Things in front of your windows, such as bushes, trees, fencing and even other houses, can play a big role in how you should open your windows. If you can, open windows that don’t have any obstructions in front of them in order for the air to freely move through your screen. Generally, plants won’t be a very big issue in front of windows unless something was specifically planted there for privacy. In the case of a privacy hedge, opening the window may not do much good at all.

External Factors
Always keep in mind what kind of allergens bother you, and keep them out of your home when possible. For example, if one side of your yard is filled with dandelions, and they give you watery eyes, don’t open windows that face towards them. You can open windows on the other three sides of your house, but the airflow should still be sufficient without causing an allergic reaction. The same thing goes for outdoor odors from construction, factories or farms. If you can, try to avoid opening windows that face the source of these odors to keep the smell out of your house as best as you can.

Home Layout

The way your home was built has an impact on how you should open your windows. If you have a long hallway and open windows near both ends of it, you’ll experience a lot of airflow, pulling stagnant air out of rooms along the way. For two-story houses, opening windows on the top and bottom floors helps cool down the upstairs area significantly while circulating air throughout the entire house, especially in rooms that are close to the stairs.

Since every home is built differently and in slightly different environments, even between neighbors, you need to take all of the above factors into account when deciding exactly how to open your windows. It might take a little bit of trial and error, but once you find the right way for your home’s windows to be opened, you’ll enjoy a much more comfortable house.

From Virginia Beach to Richmond and all across Virginia, Paramount Builders is your expert Replacement Window company. Follow us for more home improvements tips.