Building Regulations For Interior Designers: Ventilation In Dwellings

Why are Ventilation Regulations Important to Interior Designers?

Interior designers, along with agents and contractors, are responsible for building work, and they should have the correct knowledge to implement regulations. If you are planning building work, you may also have to inform an approved inspector or the local authorities. However, the regulations are different for buildings of an unusual design, mixed-use buildings, or those of a historic nature. If you are unsure whether your designs meet regulations, you should seek the involvement of a building control body. If your designs do not conform with legalities, you could be prosecuted. 

Why are Ventilation Regulations Important to Interior Designers? 

It is the responsibility of everyone who works on a building’s ventilation to follow the current building regulations, including interior designers. You should have the correct knowledge to follow these guidelines. If you do not follow these regulations, you could be prosecuted. For information and support, you can speak to your local building control body.  

If you are carrying out work on an existing building, you should make sure you meet the regulations and that these new elements are not less compliant than the previous solution. You should always check whether you need to notify local authorities. The document details the ventilation that you need to put in place, which depends on how much your work has affected the previous ventilation. 

When you are designing a bathroom and kitchen refurbishment, you should maintain or replace any ventilation fans and check they are working properly. You only need to add extra ventilation if your new designs reduce ventilation. 

Either intermittent or continuous extract ventilation should be used in kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms, and sanitary accommodation. There are specific guidelines for extract terminals and fans, as well as cooker hoods. A mechanical, continuous extract ventilation system could include either or both a central extract system and/or individual room extraction fans. If you are using mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, each of your habitable rooms should use mechanical supply ventilation and avoid draughts. There are additional requirements for background ventilation when used with mechanical extract ventilation. 

Each habitable room should have a purge ventilation system. This might include openings or a mechanical extract ventilation system. In most cases, you must comply with a minimum opening area. 

What Should You Consider When Designing Ventilation? 

Here are some considerations when designing air pollution¨:

To prevent noise pollution, ducts should be correctly sized and jointed, and the right equipment should be used and fixed securely. Any fans used must be an appropriate size. 

You should be aware that ventilation systems should be designed to minimise air pollution in a building. You can discover the level of pollutants by using an air quality assessment. This is important if your building is located near road traffic, a combustion plant or processes, a construction or demolition site, industrial, exhaust, or fugitive discharge, or other forms of air pollution. If urban traffic is a problem, you might install mechanical solutions. You might also locate ventilation at the side of the room furthest from the pollution and maximise air intakes. There is additional guidance for polluted courtyards, pollution that varies by time or day, and pollution that is affected by wind direction, as well as exhaust outlets.