As I have been travelling round I was remembering something I felt was very strange when I first got to Australia. . . . . . It was as soon as you went through the front door you were in the main living space of the house.
In the UK most houses have an enclosed porch like this photograph; or an internal space with a door to the inside (a vestibule)
These ‘Air Lock’ rooms can be important in helping keep heating and cooling bills down.
Advantages of ‘Air Lock’ Rooms
The advantages of Air Lock Rooms are:
- Acts as a Buffer Zone slowing down the rate of heat trnsfer through the door and side panels;
- Slows down the house Ventilation Rate by reducing drafts (air loss around a closed door);
- Stops massive heat loss when a door is opened (as long as you treat it like a true air lock and always keep one door closed). . . .useful when you have people at the door you don’t want to invite in.
- A useful security feature as wide windows allow you to check out callers that might be hiding out of the view of CCTV cameras.
Types of ‘Air Lock’ Rooms
As well as enclosed porches and Vestibules mentioned above other common ‘Air Lock’ rooms are:
- Mud Room;
- Laundry;
- Enclosed veranda:
- Sun Room/Conservatory.
If you are serious about saving energy perhaps you should think about ‘Air Locks’.
