Healthy living

Health consciousness has increased considerably in recent years among the majority of people. In addition to healthy nutrition, exercise and sports, creating healthy buildings and living spaces is also becoming more and more important. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as

“ […] a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.“

One’s own well-being or sense of well-being is, of course, always an individual feeling. However, in buildings and living spaces, many different factors can contribute to better physical and mental well-being; preventing illness, exhaustion and stress. Among others, these include:

• air quality
• room climate
• air humidity
• soundproofing
• natural daylight
• protection against pollen
• surfaces and colours

Air quality has a great significance. An adult breathes in and out 16,000 litres of air a day. We spend the majority of our lives in closed rooms. If ventilation is poor, CO2 levels rise, which makes us feel tired and worn-out and impairs our capacity. But we do not always notice bad air immediately. Often, the negative effect of vapours from furniture, floor coverings, paints or cleaning agents can be noticed only after some time, and may cause allergies, asthma or other illnesses. Therefore, healthy air in interior rooms is one of the key aspects when it comes to the future of living and personal well-being. Ventilation should therefore be a central element of healthy living and working. However, the more energy-efficient and tightly sealed the building shell, the less air can circulate, and the more difficult it is to ensure sufficient air exchange through regular, manual ventilation alone. This is when innovative systems such as ventilation flaps or window rebate ventilations become very useful, ensuring a user-independent supply of sufficient fresh air. This way, energy efficiency and healthy living can be perfectly combined.

Good ventilation of closed rooms positively affects our performance, it prevents the formation of mould and reduces viral loads. A distinction is made between different types of ventilation, depending on how the room is used.

Opening the window completely instead of leaving a smaller gap open

If you spend most of your time in one room, you should ventilate it about every two hours. Ideally, the window should be opened completely, and a brief cross flow of air from one window to another or from an open door to the window should be made possible. This ensures the best possible air exchange. The more people there are in a room, for example in offices, the faster the CO2 level rises and the more often it should be ventilated.

The aim should be to ventilate at least 3 to 4 times a day. Depending on weather conditions and temperature, the duration of ventilation should be between 5 and 30 minutes. Especially in the winter months, you should better ventilate for a shorter time in order to prevent the rooms from cooling down too much. Room temperatures should not fall below 16 °C (61 °F).

Avoid constant ventilation by leaving a smaller gap open (tilted windows), as this can lead to high losses of warm air and cold wall surfaces.

Adapt your ventilation concept to the use of the room

Different rooms require different ventilation methods. For example, in rooms with sources of moisture, such as bathrooms or kitchens, where there is often too much moisture in the air, you should always ventilate with the windows wide open. This way, condensation on walls and windows can be prevented. Make sure that the doors to other rooms are always kept closed, as this will keep the moisture and smells restricted to that room.

In contrast to other rooms, and depending on the season, you should always leave the windows of your bedrooms tilted or completely open at night, in order to be able to ensure the greatest possible air exchange. If you prefer to sleep with the windows closed, it is important to let lots of fresh air into the bedroom after getting up. Fresh air helps you to fall asleep quickly and promotes a restful sleep, therefore, it is recommended that you allow for some cross flow of air for another 10 to 15 minutes before going to bed.

Smart ventilation aids

Today, there are a number of different ventilation systems which offer an alternative to manual ventilation. The available devices range from window rebate ventilations through automatic ventilation flaps to complete ventilation systems, which are increasingly being used in new buildings, and ensure the supply of fresh air into the building around the clock. In addition to a completely mechanical window rebate ventilation, heroal offers a ventilation flap that can be opened either manually or in a motorised way, as well as electric drives with which windows can be controlled automatically via radio remote control or app. Even if you should happen to be not at home.

Noise and continuous sound levels can cause stress reactions in our body, and illnesses such as migraine, high blood pressure or heart attacks. Disturbing noises put our body on alert. The sensitivity to noise varies from person to person. Factors such as volume, type of noise, subjective tolerance and the individual situation play an important role.

Different sounds care caused by vibrations and are measured in decibels (dB). Most people consider a sound pressure level of 40 to 65 decibels to be normal. According to the German Federal Environment Ministry, even low noise levels of 25 decibels or more may impair both concentration and sleep quality. The sound of the sea, for example, is usually perceived as more pleasant than an engine running at the same volume. The lawnmower next door is all the more disturbing if you do not like your neighbour. At night, we are extremely sensitive to unfamiliar noises.

But noise does not always have to be perceived consciously. Street noise and other permanent ambient noise, to which we seem to have become accustomed, can also make us ill. This makes it all the more important to eliminate all unwanted noise. This is very easy to do with sounds that originate from outside your house. With soundproof windows or doors that effectively reduce outside noise, you can protect your health and have a restful sleep at night.