You’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen brand new houses with all the bells and whistles, but the owners still end up with condensation dripping down the windows every winter. Folks get obsessed with making things airtight, but you can’t just lock moisture inside and hope for the best. I always say, your house needs to breathe a bit—otherwise, you’re just trading lower heating bills for black spots on your ceiling. Trickle vents help, but if you never use ‘em (or worse, tape them shut), you’re asking for trouble.
“your house needs to breathe a bit—otherwise, you’re just trading lower heating bills for black spots on your ceiling.”
Yeah, I’ve seen this too. People get so focused on insulation and sealing everything up tight, but then forget that all that moisture from showers, cooking, even just breathing, has to go somewhere. I’m curious—do most folks actually know how to use those trickle vents properly? Or do they just leave them closed because they’re worried about drafts? Seems like a lot of new builds have fancy ventilation systems, but if you don’t run the fans or open the vents, it’s kind of pointless. Anyone else notice that extractor fans in bathrooms barely get used unless there’s visible steam?
Seems like a lot of new builds have fancy ventilation systems, but if you don’t run the fans or open the vents, it’s kind of pointless.
Honestly, I think the bigger issue is that a lot of these systems are designed assuming people will use them exactly as intended, but real life just doesn’t work like that. I’ve walked through plenty of new flats where folks have taped over trickle vents because they’re convinced it’s “wasting heat.” Meanwhile, the same people are drying laundry indoors with all the windows shut. It’s not always about not knowing how to use the features—it’s that the design doesn’t always match how people actually live.
I get why people want to seal everything up tight, especially with energy prices lately, but sometimes I wonder if we’re overcomplicating things. In my experience, a decent extractor fan on a timer (that actually gets used) does more for moisture than any number of vents that just get left closed. Not saying trickle vents are useless, but they’re not a magic bullet either. Sometimes it feels like we’re putting the cart before the horse—wouldn’t it make more sense to design around how people *actually* use their homes?
Sometimes it feels like we’re putting the cart before the horse—wouldn’t it make more sense to design around how people *actually* use their homes?
You’ve nailed it. I see this all the time—systems that look great on paper but don’t mesh with real habits. People want to save on heating, so vents get blocked, and then you end up with condensation or even mold. I do think there’s a balance to strike, though. Some of these features are genuinely helpful if used right, but expecting everyone to follow a manual isn’t realistic. Maybe more intuitive controls or better education would help, but honestly, design should start with how people actually live, not just what’s technically possible.
