The Secrets to a Comfortable Indoor Climate

    It is easy to rely on the thermometer when it feels to cold at home, in the cabin or at the office. But even when the air temperature shows a steady 22 degrees, it can feel cold.

    The truth is that there are a variety of factors who affect our impression. When you measure the indoor climate you often look at the following six factors:

    • Air temperature

    • Radiant temperature

    • Air movement

    • Humidity

    • Level of activity

    • Insulation from clothes and furniture

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    Air Temperature Isn't Everything

    How we experience the indoor climate mostly depends on our own body temperature more than the real air temperature. Our level of activity is also a big factor. What kind of work do we do? Sitting still in front of a computer or a physically demanding work?

    Even if the air temperature in the middle of a room is normal it can feel cold if walls, floors and ceiling don’t have the same temperature. That is one of the reasons why a cabin feels chilly when the heat is just turned on. All surfaces aren’t heated at the same speed. Cold floors can be particularly unpleasant. A carpet usually helps an otherwise substantial heat loss. Which material the floor is made of is also important. Tiled flooring is perceived more cold than wood flooring for instance.

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    The Dreadful Draught

    It is also common to complain about cold draughts inside. Humans can for a fact not feel draughts. What we instead notice is that the skin gets cold where we aren't covered in clothes, such as face, hands, neck or ankles. The experience of a draught is, simply put, a heat loss which depends on the turbulence of air movement, speed and temperature.

    Last but not least it is important to remember that people are different. Even if we put a group of people in a room under the same conditions one part will freeze and the other part sweat.