Fitted wardrobes are the most popular choice from the last decade in every household. Their stylish and unique designs make you have your whole house renovated with every space. It’s true; in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, balconies, and bedrooms, they have made their presence outstandingly known.
There was a time when they were considered luxury, but now with new materials and designs, everyone can afford them. But as we know in the UK, the weather is most of the time cold and humid. With high chances of mould, dampness, and fungus, how can we keep our wardrobe long, fresh, and sturdy?
A proper airflow in the wardrobe is a necessity; if not, the wardrobe will be covered in moisture or humidity, unpleasant odours, rotting the wood from the inside, and eventually damaging your clothes.
To avoid such disasters, we will talk about the importance of good ventilation in the wardrobe and how to know if your wardrobe is showing signs of mould.
Suggested Reading: What are Fitted Wardrobes?
Role of Good Ventilation in a Fitted Wardrobe
Bespoke wardrobes are the ideal storage solution in the modern house, as they have the most effective design and storage space. As much as they have many advantages, the only concern for them is their high chances of getting mould and damp in humid places.
They are built attached to the wall and cannot be moved. In the UK, most of the residents have faced this issue of high humidity in their wooden furniture or other corners of the house.
Similarly in fitted wardrobes, the UK weather creates damp behind the fitted wardrobe. And air vents for wardrobes are still unknown concepts for most people and not familiar with their use and benefits.
Poor air ventilation in fitted wardrobes is the starting cause of dampness and mould in fitted wardrobes. Which makes it necessary to have proper wardrobe ventilation and air circulation in the room.
The air vents help to circulate air into the wardrobe from the room or windows. It is necessary to create a breathing space in the wardrobe location; if they are built in a compact space with limited air and a cold environment, it will breed mould growth, and soon the wardrobe will start to stink with dampness.
Why is good ventilation crucial for your fitted wardrobe?
The reason to have good ventilation in a fitted wardrobe is to protect your clothes, accessories, shoes, and other storage. The traditional wardrobes and stand-alone wardrobes don’t require this option. But even if they have not been taken care of properly, they ought to get humid and mouldy.
Fitted wardrobes don’t have the option of extra space behind them, which makes it important to have air to breathe; wardrobe ventilation fans can be a good option. And good ventilation removes the stale air and has fresh air circulated inside them. Let’s look at the benefits of air vents in wardrobes:
Reduce moisture: Moisture control is important to have in a fitted wardrobe. The moisture buildup can produce mould and dampness in the wardrobe, which can ruin your shoes, bags, and leather stuff, and it is harmful for your health as well.
The wardrobe placement on the wall is also important if it is in contact with the rain; it has a higher chance of getting moisture and requires proper wardrobe ventilation.
Fresh air: A cold and stuffy air can affect the overall air quality in the room and can hazard your health as well. Good ventilation keeps the air circulated and avoids the potential of having breathing issues, like asthma, for the owners.
No odour: They have a unique and heavy odour that clothes can easily absorb and leave a nasty smell to your clothes. It is important to discover the mould, as it can spread fast to other places and soon your whole wardrobe.
Prevent insect infestation: Wood and clothes are organic substances that, over time, if not taken care of, have chances of getting rotten. Similarly, while being in a lot of humidity, it can seed pests.
Longevity: Fitted wardrobes are known for longevity and their durability. But proper maintenance and care are essential to add more years to them along with your collection. You can install wardrobe doors with ventilation as a solution for having more fresh air.
A little care and attention can boost the lifespan of your wardrobe. Air vents are one of them.
Understanding when to add ventilation in a fitted wardrobe?
Without proper airflow, the humidity and dampness build inside a wardrobe, leading to the growth of mould and mildew. Which eventually leads to damaging your clothes, wood surface, and wardrobe functionality. How can we avoid mould building inside the wardrobe?
Fresh and dry clothes: Make sure you keep the clothes clean and properly dry after laundry. It can also become the greater cause of having humidity build up.
Seasonal care: maintaining seasonal ventilation in your wardrobe gives a lot of air and proper cleaning to your wardrobe. With each weather shift, swap your collection accordingly and keep your wardrobe fresh.
Maintenance: If you want to avoid the separate ventilation installation in your wardrobe, the answer is regular maintenance. Make it a regular habit to give your wardrobe air and swap clothes.
Add ventilation to your wardrobe if you see any of these symptoms:
Musky smell: When you open your wardrobe and it starts to smell. Wood began to smell when it got damp and humid.
Damp clothes: white or dark patches in your clothes. They are not crisp or dry but have a wet feel in them.
Dust: If your wardrobe has too much dust in the drawers or shelves, it requires cleaning or taking care of it. If left for longer periods without any dusting, humidity starts to build.
Swollen wood: The wood began to swell in high humidity. Wardrobe doors and drawers functionality began to show effect; they are tight and hard to open or close.
These are the early signs before the wardrobe began to grow mould and dampness. Do not ignore them and start taking the right actions to avoid damaging your wardrobe.
How to Achieve Good Ventilation in a Fitted Wardrobe?
While building a fitted wardrobe, you can have a standard ventilation system installed in your wardrobe from the beginning. The installation will be built to avoid building dampness in your wardrobe, providing proper air to breathe, and installing air vents.
The benefits of having ventilation pre-installed with your fitted wardrobe are:
- A test will run beforehand to check whether the wall is affected by the humid
- The room space and size of the fitted wardrobe are measured to not make the room compact with limited air flow.
- Instead of fitting a wardrobe to the walls, a space can be added.
- Pre-installing different tools, like closet dehumidifiers, moisture absorbers, carbon filters, etc. (we will discuss them below in detail).
- Different types of wardrobe design give natural air vents to your wardrobe.
Different tools to install ventilation systems
Leaving space: While building, you can have some space left between the wardrobe and wall.
Closet dehumidifiers: There are different types of systems available for this; search for the one you might need and ensure that it fulfils your requirements.
Moisture absorber: Silica gel packs, charcoal, and dehumidifiers are also some of the moisture absorbers you can use. It can prevent the humid growth.
Carbon filters: They are used to absorb polluted air and remove chemical gases, vapours, and odours.
Mechanical ventilation: Many install air conditioning and heating systems in their wardrobes to have the air circulated.
Others: Keep the wardrobe door open for sometime in a day; avoid overstuffing your wardrobe.
Tips to Ensure That Your Wardrobe Stays Well-Ventilated
We have discussed all the options that can be used to ensure your wardrobe stays well ventilated. But if you already have a fitted wardrobe and want to know how to keep your existing wardrobe in good shape.
Open wardrobe: Keep your wardrobe open, or you can have the doors removed and make it an open wardrobe if you consistently face the humid issue.
Installing fans: Install ceiling fans in the room to have the air pressure keep the wardrobe dry.
Regularly clean your wardrobe, open windows and doors of the room to have air circulated properly once in a while, shuffle your clothes, and have them dry. These are some of the tips that can help in wardrobe air ventilation.
Factors That Influence the Fitted Wardrobe Price
If you are concerned about the fitted wardrobe price being affected by the pre-installed air ventilation system, then, yes, they are slightly higher than standard fitted wardrobe prices, but you can save money having the idea executed earlier. If you make the changes later, it can be costly.
Air ventilation systems are some of the factors that influence the fitted wardrobe price. But they also add value to your overall fitted wardrobe, protect your clothes, and provide long-term durability.
Discuss this with your designer to have a proper, affordable system installed; they can guide you based on the wood selection, weather condition, and different wardrobe style. Open wardrobes do not need a ventilation system as compared to closed ones.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed many potential problems that can lead to damage to your wardrobe and solutions to keep it safe.
Wardrobes are an essential part of every household; you need to keep them in proper shape for a longer period. If not taken care of properly, you have to spend a lot to have them fixed.
We are adding some of the common FAQs the customers face; we hope this helps to clear your doubts as well.
FAQs
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What are the best ways to ventilate a wardrobe?
Avoid direct contact with the wall and the wardrobe. Keep the air circulation in the room, which can allow your wardrobe to breathe. Have seasonal care and cleaning.
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How do air vents work?
They prevent dampness from building, letting air in the wardrobe absorb humidity, and proper functioning of doors and drawers. Keeping your wardrobe fresh and functional.
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Can I add ventilation to my existing wardrobe?
Yes, you can add air ventilation in your existing fitted wardrobe. And there are many DIYs that you can do to keep your wardrobe dry and fresh. You can reach out to us for further details on installing vents in an existing wardrobe.
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What are the signs of poor ventilation in a wardrobe?
Musky smell, white or dark patches on your clothes, tighten doors or drawers, humid inside the wardrobe. These are the starting signs that your wardrobe has been in contact with the humidity for a longer period of time.
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Does wardrobe ventilation affect the overall cost?
Yes, it boosts the overall cost of your fitted wardrobe while adding to the house. The air vents are of many different types; make sure to check them all before installing.
