Airshaft?

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Hello, I am considering moving into a renovated apartment on the first floor of an old 1916 “Dumbbell” Tenement. While 4 windows face the street, the other 3 face the air shaft. Just curious if the quality of air in these shafts is terrible, or if keeping those windows open in the summer will be an option for me. thanks!

ute123

in Bath & Kitchen 12 years and 6 months ago

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janeinteriorsnyc | 11 years and 4 months ago

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When I first moved to brooklyn, I senselessly put the fan blowing in, in the window on the air shaft… and it took a friend to tell me that the reason my apt. was so hot was because I was pulling in all the hot air from people who had air conditioners in the air shaft window. Once I turned the fan around so that it was pulling air out of the apartment, I found that I really got a nice movement of air in the other rooms. I have never smelled anything bad coming in my window.. from other people’s kitchens or from poop or mildew in the air shaft. www.janeinteriorsnyc.com

Goatcrapp | 12 years and 6 months ago

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When i used to rent, i was in an air-shaft building like this twice..  both times, the kitchens were along the shaft, so you got to smell all the wonderful meals people were burning.  I stopped opening those windows.

brokelin | 12 years and 6 months ago

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Yes, have gotten quick sick from fungus in pigeon shit at a job once.  I have known others who got sick, too (at that job, and in their homes).  Look it up – there are about 3 different things in there make humans sick.  So I know not to ever open windows where pigeons poop (the ledge outside my kitchen windowsill right now, unforunately.)  There will not only be pigeon shit in there, but also pigeons flying around and cooing – distracting and gross.  There is one way to prevent this, as some coop or condo buildings do – clean out the airshaft well (if the base can be reached from windows or a door at ground leverl), and the sides of the shaft, too, so no pigeon shit remains.  Then cover the top of the shaft with strong netting that lets light in, but keeps birds out.  Repair this when it rips. This is the only way I would ever live with windows on a shaft.  If this is a rental, probably not cleaned and no net.  Don’t do it unless you commit to never opening those windows, and are ok with that.

bpie | 12 years and 6 months ago

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*pigeons

bpie | 12 years and 6 months ago

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The fan idea sounds good.  Are you concerned about light?  You will probably not get any light back there. I went to look at a place once that had a similar airshaft, but the shaft was bigger and the place on a high floor.  It was scary because you couldn’t see the sky from the windows (this is a different situation from yours, since you have other windows in there to see out of) and though there were terraces, no one used them because there were pidgeons everywhere!!!  It was like a scene from The Birds.  I couldn’t do it.  Look for pidgeon poop.

JoeBushwick | 12 years and 6 months ago

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One option is to place a large box fan in the air shaft window and blow the air out into the air shaft.  This will draw fresh air into the apartment from the windows on the street.  This is especially effective in the evenings when the out side temperature drops and it is still hot in the apartment.