Tips for Healthier Homes in New Zealand

Healthy Home Tip #1: Opening Windows

One simple way to get rid of dampness in homes is by opening windows, twice a day for at least 30 minutes. This promotes airflow in your home and prevents your rooms getting stuffy and eventually damp. A good time to do this could be when you wake up and get ready for work, and when you return home from work. The EECA recommends this, and additionally opening doors once a day to promote airflow in the home.

Healthy Home Tip #2 Opening / closing curtains

Curtains are an unsung hero of the house, able to both create heat and reduce it. On hot days, curtains can help cool the house a bit by closing them, and on cold days it can act as an extra layer of insulation. The general rule of thumb is opening curtains to allow the sun in when it is cold, and closing them in the evening to get a bit of extra heating in the house.

Healthy Home tip #3: Don’t use Unflued Gas Heaters

Unflued heaters are heaters that don’t let exhaust fumes outside. These can be even worse than a damp house- because they let out harmful fumes straight into your room that can make you sick. These dioxides and vapours can lead to not only harm to your body, but even worse dampness in your rooms.

Healthy Home Tip #4: Installing Insulation

Insulation can be pricey to install, but ultimately saves on costs associated with paying for heating and damages from dampness over time. Insulation is not all the same, and varies in price depending on how much you get and where it is installed. Government grants can even be given to help with installation, check with your local board to see if you can apply.

Healthy Homes Tip #5: INstalling a heat pump

Heat pumps are the best option for low overall running costs associated with them. According to EECA, heat pumps have the lowest cost out of every heat option. While there are high starting costs, they will eventually lead to savings on heating bills especially in the winter. They also effectively heat the whole house, not just 1 room.

Healthy Homes Tip #6: Installing an Extractor fan

Extractor fans are a very cost efficient way of reducing moisture in a home. With the average extractor fan costing 1 cent or less per hour of use, this method won’t be breaking the bank. Many people have extractor fans installed in bathrooms, but you can have them installed in other places in the home and have similar effects. Adding them into the daily routine of reducing mould and dampness is as simple as turning a switch.