Healthy Houses

Fresh filtered, warm and dry air leads to better health outcomes.

The constant temperature experienced in a Passivhaus removes the risk of condensation and mould growth that intermittent heating and fluctuating temperatures otherwise bring.
Temperature consistency, too, also removes this risk. Besides, in a heavily insulated building with no cold bridges there is nowhere for moisture to condense anyway.
But a building that is too warm may also impact negatively particularly in the young, elderly and infirm so care needs to be taken to reduce overheating, especially in summer.
The accurate control of ventilation and moisture in a Passivhaus means that relative humidity can be maintained within the ideal comfort range thus preventing the growth of moulds and the establishment of dust mites – both associated with respiratory complaints such as asthma.
On the other hand, if indoor air is too dry this can lead to skin or eye problems in some occupants though, this has not been our experience at Dormont.
Poor ventilation regimes allow contaminants such as off-gases from carpets and furniture as well as moulds and dust mites, for example, to potentially affect health.
An efficient Passivhaus MVHR delivers warm fresh, filtered allergen- and dust-free air.
It is, however, important to ensure that the air flow is balanced to avoid perceived draughts
and to regularly change the filters.

“I always had chilblains until I moved here”

“I used to sit in front of the fire all day just to keep warm. Now I can do things outdoors that I couldn’t do before”

“I’m allergic to everything and suffer from asthma but I haven’t had an attack in nearly 4 years”

“This is the first winter in all our 38 years of married life in which we have felt warm”