Is Air Quality Better On Higher Floors? (We Checked)

We all know that higher-floor apartments are generally more expensive than those on lower floors.

Many may think this is because higher-floor apartments get better views. Even though that’s true, there are more advantages to living in a higher-floor apartment.

One of them is that the air quality is better on higher floors, but is this true? Do you really get better air quality if you live in a higher-floor apartment?

Here’s what we’ve learned:

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Air Quality On Higher Floors:

According to a study, air quality improves once you reach the 4th floor. Beyond this, the differences are just minimal. This means that you only need to be at least on the 4th floor to get good air quality, and you only get a tiny improvement every time you go a floor higher.

Do Higher-Floor Apartments In Big Cities Have Less Air Pollution?

Apartments on lower floors, especially the ground floor, are a lot cheaper compared to higher-floor apartments, but the drawback to living in them is that they can get quite dusty.

When you live on the ground floor, you get a lot of dust, dirt, and other pollutants coming from outside because your apartment is close to the streets.

In general, higher-floor apartments in big cities have less air pollution.

This is because of their proximity to the streets, and air pollutants, such as dust and dirt, rarely travel to higher floors unless strong winds blow them upwards.

Even if strong winds blow air pollutants upwards, these air pollutants will go back down and eventually settle on the ground.

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Can You Raise Above-City Pollution By Living In A Tall Building?

If you live in a tall building, you may wonder if you can contribute to pollution above the city and worsen it.

Generally speaking, you can rise above city pollution by living in a tall building. That’s because everyone contributes to air pollution.

Whether you live in a standalone house, an apartment on the ground floor, or a penthouse apartment, you can contribute to air pollution in the city through the little things you do, and you may not even know it.

Smoking a cigarette in your apartment, using aerosol products in the bathroom, or burning wood in your apartment’s fireplace can raise above-city pollution if you live in a tall building.

It really doesn’t matter where you live because everyone contributes to air pollution in their own ways.

The best thing you can do to have a less negative impact on the environment is to be conscious of what you do and minimize the things that can add to the pollution.

Do Higher-Floor Apartments Have Less Dust In The Air?

Higher-floor apartments are more expensive compared to apartments on the ground floor and lower floors because there are many benefits to living on a higher floor.

Some benefits include having less noise and getting more security because of the proximity to the streets, but there’s one benefit that people do not really realize.

Higher-floor apartments have less dust.

When you ask people living on higher floors, they will tell you that they generally get less dust in their apartments compared to those living on the ground floor.

That’s because higher-floor apartments are far from the street, which is the cities’ main source of dust. Since dust particles tend to stay at ground level and rarely travel upwards, then higher-floor apartments get less exposure to dust.

This is really good, especially if you have household members who are allergic to dust or if you have babies and small kids in the household.

The only time that dust particles get to higher floors is when strong winds are blowing them upwards. If this happens, higher-floor residents can simply close their windows to prevent dust from entering the apartment until the winds subside.

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Do High-Floor Apartments Get More Fresh Air?

Since high-floor apartments get less exposure to dust, dirt, and other pollutants, they also get more fresh air than apartments on lower grounds.

Getting a lot of fresh air is another benefit to living in a high-floor apartment that some people do not even realize.

Because high-floor apartments are not close to the streets, people living in them do not get exposed to air pollutants such as dust, dirt, and smoke.

It also means that they do not get unpleasant smells from the street, such as the smell of the garbage truck whenever it passes by in the morning or the smell of dumpsters placed on sidewalks.

How Does The Air Circulate In Large Apartment Buildings?

A lot of people may think that air circulation and ventilation may be an issue in large apartment buildings, and while this can be true, there are still ways for air to circulate properly in an apartment.

Here are three different ways to get air circulation in apartment buildings:

Natural Ventilation

This is the easiest and cheapest way to get air to circulate in large apartment buildings. This is the cheapest because it is essentially free.

Natural ventilation involves opening the windows in your apartment.

Doing this allows fresh air in your apartment while letting stale air out. Through this type of ventilation, you spend nothing, and no maintenance is needed.

The downside to this is that it would be difficult to get natural ventilation when the weather is extremely hot or cold. If you open the windows on a hot summer day, you also get hot air flowing into your apartment.

If you open the windows during winter, you will get freezing temperatures indoors.

Another downside to natural ventilation is that it would be difficult to regulate humidity, which can be uncomfortable. In this case, you would have to get a humidifier, and that should solve the problem.

Mechanical Ventilation

This type of ventilation is common in large apartment buildings in the city.

Most residential and commercial buildings have a ventilation system that helps ensure proper air circulation on all floors and units in the building.

Mechanical ventilation involves having an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. This system comprises fans, ducts, and air vents to let stale air out of the building and allow fresh air from the outside to flow indoors.

Some residential buildings have a system that lets air flow through individual air vents inside the apartments. The downside is that you can get unpleasant smells from your neighbor’s apartment.

Other buildings have an infiltration system that works differently. Through this system, the air circulates in corridors that enter the apartment units through the small gap under the doors.

Unlike natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation is costly and needs regular maintenance to work smoothly at all times, which you’re paying for in your rent.

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Hybrid Ventilation

This type of ventilation is a mix of natural and mechanical ventilation.

Through this system, fresh air flows into the building through air inlets. It is then routed to the apartment units with a supply fan blowing the air through the ducts.

The supply fan also boosts the air pressure to adequately supply fresh air throughout the building.

This system uses exhaust fans installed in individual apartment units to let out stale air.

The hybrid ventilation system is generally more cost-effective than the mechanical system, and it can significantly improve the quality of the air circulating inside the apartments.

Without proper ventilation, you will get more exposed to air pollutants, allergens, humid air, and poor air quality, even if you live on a high floor.

This can make a living in your apartment very uncomfortable and add potential health risks to you and the rest of your household.

When choosing an apartment, make sure to ask the property manager or real estate agent about the air ventilation system. Ensure that the apartment you’ll get has good air circulation and ventilation, even if it means paying a bit extra.

Sources:

Does Air Quality Improve With Elevation?

Is Air Quality Better On Higher Floors?

Do Higher Floors Have Less Dust?

Pros And Cons: Higher Floor Vs. Lower Floor Living – Which Is Better?

How Does Outdoor Air Enter A Building?