Ventilation: Approved Document F, Volume 1 — Dwellings

O N L I N E V E R S I O N F1(1) NOTE: A window with a night latch position is not adequate for background ventilation, due to the following. a. The risk of draughts. b. Security issues. c. The difficulty of measuring the equivalent area. 1.53 If the dwelling has more than one exposed façade, the area of background ventilators on each façade should be similar, to allow cross-ventilation. 1.54 If an exposed façade is close to an area of sustained and loud noise (e.g. a main road), then a noise attenuating background ventilator should be fitted. 1.55 If fans and background ventilators are fitted in the same room, they should be at least 500mm apart. 1.56 The minimum total area of background ventilators in each room should follow the guidance in Table 1.7. 1.57 The total number of ventilators installed in the dwelling’s habitable rooms and kitchens should be at least the following. a. Four ventilators if the dwelling has one bedroom. b. Five ventilators if the dwelling has more than one bedroom. 1.58 If the dwelling has a kitchen and living room which are not separate rooms, at least three ventilators of the same area as for other habitable rooms in Table 1.7 should be provided in the open-plan space. Table 1.7 Minimum equivalent area of background ventilators for natural ventilation(1) Room Minimum equivalent area of Minimum equivalent area of background ventilators for dwellings background ventilators for single- with multiple floors storey dwellings Habitable rooms(2)(3) 8000mm2 10,000mm2 Kitchen(2)(3) 8000mm2 10,000mm2 Utility room No minimum No minimum Bathroom(4) 4000mm2 4000mm2 Sanitary accommodation No minimum No minimum NOTES: 1. The use of this table is not appropriate in any of the following situations and expert advice should be sought. • If the dwelling has only one exposed façade. • If the dwelling has at least 70% of its openings on the same façade. • If a kitchen has no windows or external façade through which a ventilator can be installed. 2. Where a kitchen and living room accommodation are not separate rooms (i.e. open plan), no fewer than three ventilators of the same equivalent area as for other habitable rooms should be provided within the open-plan space. 3. The total number of ventilators installed in a dwelling’s habitable rooms and kitchens should be no fewer than five, except in one-bedroom properties, where there should be no fewer than four. 4. If a bathroom has no window or external façade through which a ventilator can be installed, the minimum equiva- lent area specified should be added to the ventilator sizes specified in other rooms. 15 Building Regulations 2010 Approved Document F Volume 1, 2021 edition O N L I N E V E R S I O N