Single-family housing and CTE requirements regarding ventilation

In terms of ventilation, the applicable regulations for your single-family home is the Technical Code of Building (CTE) and not the Regulations of Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE).

According to the basic requirement HS 3: Quality of indoor air, buildings must have the means necessary for their rooms to ventilate adequately, eliminating pollutants produced inside due to normal and habitual use. This involves providing a sufficient flow of outdoor air to ensure the extraction and expulsion of stale indoor air. To minimize the risk of indoor air pollution in buildings, and of the surrounding exterior in façades and patios, the evacuation of combustion products from thermal installations must occur through the building roof (regardless of the type of fuel and equipment used).

Conditions of the regulations regarding the construction and execution of your single-family home

Regarding the construction of your single-family home, the project must define and justify the minimum technical specifications that the products used must meet and the execution conditions of each work unit, (in accordance with verifications and controls). As for the execution, construction works will be carried out in accordance with the developed project, the applicable current legislation, the rules of good construction practice, and the instructions of the project manager and the construction execution manager.

Openings

• If the openings are directly on the wall, a pass-through (with the ends sealed at their meeting point with the wall) will be placed whose interior section has the minimum ventilation dimensions provided. Additionally, the protective elements of the openings will be placed in a way that does not prevent the entry of water from outside.

• If the protective elements of the extraction openings have slats, these will be placed inclined in the direction of the air circulation.

Extraction ducts

• The passage of ducts through slabs and other horizontal elements will be foreseen using bushes and braces. The passage gaps of the slabs will provide a perimeter clearance of 20 mm, which will be filled with thermal insulation.

• The duct section corresponding to each floor will be supported on the lower slab.

• In the case of extraction ducts for hybrid ventilation, the pieces will be placed carefully considering plumb (only a deviation from vertical of up to 15° with gentle transitions will be allowed).

• The connections provided in the system will be made with special care to ensure the tightness of their joints.

• Extraction openings connected to extraction ducts will be adequately sealed, to prevent the entry of debris or other objects into the ducts until the corresponding protective elements are placed.

• Ducts made of sheet metal executed according to the specifications in UNE-EN 1507:2007 are considered satisfactory.

Mechanical ventilation systems

• The extractors will be placed plumb and secured to the extraction duct, or its covering.

• The mechanical ventilation system will be placed on the support in a stable manner (using anti-vibration elements).

• The joints and connections will be airtight and protected to prevent air from entering or leaving at those points.