A closet serves a major role in helping you organize your home interior.
While most people use closets just for keeping clothes, shoes, bedding, and other dressing apparel, closets can also be used to keep special items like extinguishers, water heaters, or even a HVAC system.
Well, this post will focus more on the general clothing closet.
Ventilation helps control humidity, thus preventing mold formation.
So, Do Closets Need Ventilation?
The answer is yes, a walk-in closet needs good ventilation in order to create a good environment for your clothes by avoiding the formation of mold and mildew. You want to avoid stepping into a stuffy closet and finding your priceless clothes smelling bad. While you can use dehumidifiers in the closet or perfumes on your clothes, the key is to vent the cabinet.
Venting a closet door will help you deal with most air conditioning issues inside your closet.
Ideally, you can control heat and humidity by installing a simple vent on the closet door or side.
Keep reading to learn more about closet vents and their benefits.
Three Benefits Of Venting A Closet
A vented closet brings forth a number of benefits. Here are some of the benefits of having your closets vented
1. Free Air Circulation
Properly positioned vents allow air to circulate freely in your closet, leaving it fresh and comfortable to walk in.
2. Prevents Mildew And Mold Formation
Accumulating mildew will eventually lead to mold growth.
The presence of mold and mildew will also generate a stuffy smell inside the closet.
Venting helps prevent the formation of mildew and mold, leaving your closet filled with fresh air.
3. Makes A Closet Comfortable
Venting a closet will not only keep your clothes safe but also makes the entire closet safe to walk in. You will not open up to a musty space that can bring about respiratory problems.
Typically, venting a closet is the best way to make it a safe space and comfortable to use frequently.
Five Closet Ventilation Addition Need Indicators
Depending on the extent of activities inside your closet, the ventilation system available may not be enough.
You will, at some point, need to add more vent. But how do you tell when you should add vents? Here are some indicators that should signal you to add more vents to the closet.
1. Excess Dust
You will notice many dust particles in the air whenever you pick clothes to wear.
This is a free indicator that there is a lot of dust and the ventilator is either blocked or insufficient.
First, check if the vents are clean, if not, clean them.
2. A Bad Smell
When mold accumulates, it starts producing a musty, unpleasant smell that fills the entire space.
This odor is usually intense with time, and to don’t roll it; you have to enhance your ventilation.
3. Numerous Allergy Attacks
You may notice that you sneeze more frequently whenever you enter the closet.
This implies that the air present is not clean and needs to be cleaned.
The best way to handle the situation is by adding more vents.
4. Damp Clothes
You will notice that most of your clothes feel quite wet when you pick them.
This means they are damp because of the excess moisture present.
5. Signs Of Mildew Or Mold
When you notice black or green patches on the wall or clothes, it simply means that mold has accumulated and there is a need for adequate airflow.
Should you encounter any of the above, consider the following remedies even after you add more vents.
- Remove the mold from walls and belts, rewash your clothes and dry them.
- Clean any visible moisture and bring your clothes out into the air.
- Add high-quality purifying systems to the closet.
- Avoid overpacking the closet.
Five Closet Ventilation Addition Tips
1. Use Vented Shelves
Vented shelves include things like baskets, drawers, and racks that are adjusted within the closet.
They should have spacious openings to allow a continuous supply of air.
The shelves are mostly preferred because of their durability and flexibility.
You can customize them to fit your choice of storage likings.
Well, as it circulates in these shelves, it moves out through the main vent in your house or brings in the fresh air.
2. Use Closet Dehumidifiers
The portable nature of dehumidifiers makes them ideal ventilation tools for most homeowners.
You can find one and put it inside your closet to regulate air quality.
Choose from the wide range of electric, single-use, rechargeable, and fragrance-free dehumidifiers.
Proper research and adequate window shopping will help you land a good dehumidifier to serve you and your closet for the longest time possible.
3. Mechanical Ventilation
There are many mechanical venting options that you can apply in your large walk-in closet, but the most common and reliable is the HVAC system.
The system works perfectly by maintaining the quality and regulating air temperatures within. To add on, a good HVAC system filters air from contaminants like mold and dust.
Installing an HVAC system to vent your closet can be quite expensive, therefore, there is a need to prepare adequate finances.
Alternatively, you can go for the budget-friendly exhaust fans that you can simply install in the closet.
You can also find a solar-powered ventilator to install in your closet and reduce power costs.
4. Vented Closet Doors
Venting closet doors are also a good option to keep the closet cool.
Pick up your tools and start a DIY project to install vents on the closet door.
If you are unsure how to vent a closet door, you can also hire a professional to perform the task.
Vented doors are relatively cheaper and more durable to keep closets free from molds.
Additionally, venting the doors will require less effort and energy to ensure the vents are functional. You need to clean the vents periodically, and other things will run smoothly.
5. Use Air Bricks
Go somewhat traditional by using air broke to construct a walk-in closet.
These are bricks with holes, and they allow free air movement. As mentioned earlier, free air movement deters the formation of molds and the accumulation of humid air.
Conclusion
Adding vents to a closet will help enhance airflow inside the cabinet and prevent the formation of molds.
This keeps your clothes safe and the closet smelling good.
Consider checking the vents to ensure they are not blocked and that they work effectively.
You may add more vents to avoid straining one vent and lower repeated maintenance costs.
Sources
https://www.fcilondon.co.uk/blog/how-do-you-ventilate-a-built-in-wardrobe