Do I need Trickle Vents?

TECHNICAL ADVICE

What are Trickle Vents?

All buildings have to be ventilated in order to maintain the health and well-being of everyone using them. There are two kinds of ventilation: background and rapid.

Background ventilation can be provided by trickle ventilators and rapid ventilation by opening the window. The need for background ventilation depends upon the building and how it is currently being ventilated.

If space is not well ventilated then it can lead to condensation build-up within a room which, if left, can lead to the spread of potentially harmful mould spores.

Trickle vents are small openings on the head frame of a window or door that allow a small amount of air to pass from the interior of the property to the exterior and vice versa. This gives the benefit of fresh air inside without having to open any windows or doors.

Current Building Regulations Part F state that it is only mandatory to install trickle ventilators within a replacement window if there was a trickle ventilator within the preexisting window. This is so buildings that were originally designed to have background ventilation continue to do so.

Removing such vents could lead to serious problems with condensation and air flow within a building.

Trickle vents can make a property more secure as they reduce the need to leave windows open for ventilation. Their installation footprint does not enable intrusion into a property.

If a property is in a noisy area where having open windows allows the sound to travel inside, trickle vents can also help to reduce the impact of noise.

Building Regulations Part F Explained

Building Regulations Part F governs the rules for ventilation in new buildings and extensions and can be quite complex, but below are some basic rules to follow:

All replacement windows, where the existing windows being removed currently have trickle vents, are required to include trickle ventilation to the same ventilation rates.
When windows are being installed as part of an extension building project the overall ventilation rates of the building must not be regatively affected.
Ventilation regulations only apply to conservatory additions if they are over 30m² in floor area.
New build homes must comply with the building regulation requirements for ventilation through a building as detailed in Part F documents.

Historical and Listed Properties

When work is being done to a listed building then a balance between historical building conservation and ventilation must be considered. In these cases, it is best to take the advice of your local planning conservation officer.

Sieger® Systems are able to incorporate minimal trickle vents into our slim framed aluminium casement windows to provide the required ventilation.

Always consult with building regulations or your architect for the requirement for your building or design project.