3 Reasons Why Sub Floor Ventilation is Critical

Sub Floor Ventilation is Serious.

If someone has come over to your home and said that you need to invest or look at sub floor ventilation then it’s time to take action. If you try to avoid paying fees for installing sub floor ventilation – this will only snowball into more and more issues down the track. In the scheme of things, paying for something like sub floor ventilation will only be a chink in your armour when you look at the alternatives like:

• Mould Remediation
• House Reconstructions
• Termite Damage Control

And the list goes on…

Sub Floor Mould Remediation

An extremely common issue that occurs in poorly ventilated sub floors is mould remediation. The reason this occurs is because the moisture in the room’s air keeps increasing with no outlet and therefore has nowhere to go. This is one of the main causes of mould remediation. Another reason this might occur is unpleasant lingering odours through the home, like cigarette smoke, mildew, pets, dampness and urine, just to name a few! As a mould spore has nowhere to go without a sub floor vent – this is where the problem lies and how you may find your home in some serious trouble.

House Reconstructions

Additionally to the sub floor mould remediation which was mentioned above there will be a variety of sub floor defects which will cause your house to deteriorate over time. Damage caused to your home can include softening and collapsing of construction materials (floor boards, wall softening) which will become very dangerous and potentially lethal if you’re doing any type of construction to an old home. That means that you would have to reconstruct the softened sections of the home and replace all the parts of the home effected by the issue. The funny thing is, you’ll end up installing a sub floor ventilation vent regardless! Therefore it’s a much more simple and effective idea to save yourself the hassles mentioned which you’ll come across down the track! (Short term pain for long term gain!)

Termite Damage

Now let’s take a look at sub floor ventilation to avoid termite damage. Termites can cause massive structural damage which will leave you wondering why, who, want, how? This is due to the fact that – when termites damage the sub floor, they usually damage adjacent floor joists causing movement in the floor. This means floors may squeak as they rub against each other or nails. A damaged sub floor tends to sag, and the top layer of tile or even the hardwood flooring may pull away from a sagging sub floor.

Conclusion

As mentioned in the 3 reasons above – sub floor ventilation is absolutely necessary in 90% of homes and 100% of all ‘old’ and classic homes. It’s wise (while looking into your roof ventilation) to investigate whether you need a sub floor ventilation fan installed as well (as generally you can do a deal with the two when you go to purchase them! We’re trying to save you some money here!). We’ll be posting up some more information regarding sub-floor so keep your eyes peeled!