3 ms·

This sounds like you have thought about it a lot. Assuming I live in a moderate climate, is there a version of your list for someone who prizes having the windo

This sounds like you have thought about it a lot. Assuming I live in a moderate climate, is there a version of your list for someone who prizes having the windows open as much as possible? Eg I'd like a house where the kitchen opens onto outdoor living space, and we keep those doors open almost all the time. In that context, I've always thought leaky old windows were a good thing, because they allow for fresh air. What am I missing? Are these sealed houses nice to live in or do they feel stale?

tristor 5y ago
> Are these sealed houses nice to live in or do they feel stale? These well sealed houses actually have /better/ indoor air quality than a typical house designed for cross-flow from open windows. The reason is that they use powered ventilation that essentially runs all the time, so you have constant fresh air entering the house and stale air leaving, and you have specifically designed and planned exhaust points. The bonus to it is that it's much more energy efficient because the ventilation can be done using energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) which equalize the temperature between indoor and outdoor air +/- 3F, greatly reducing the cost to maintain a set temperature indoors while getting fresh air from outside, and the air can be filtered through MERV16 / HEPA filtration, reducing dirt and allergen ingress. If done properly, the absolute best indoor air quality is found in Passivhaus construction.