Spend summer preparing for the winter

Electricity costs are consistently rising therefore it is becoming more and more important to find solutions to keeping the warmth inside your home. So why not take advantage of the beautiful weather we have coming up to make some changes to your home before those nasty temperatures start sneaking up on us again.

Here are a few things to consider:

Insulation

It is going to be a requirement for all rental properties to have floor and ceiling insulation, where accessible, as of July 2019. This is one of the most effective ways to keep your house warm and prevent your electricity bill from going through the roof – literally. There are lots of insulation options available in New Zealand, just to name a few:

• Batts and Blankets. This is the most common insulation used in New Zealand, it’s also not too difficult to install therefore you are able to do this yourself – Save money and learn a new skill at the same time! Just make sure, if you are going to do this yourself, that you become familiar with the techniques and requirements before you start - to ensure you are laying it as effectively as possible. Also, be weary of the different types of batts and blankets there are and take any recommended safety precautions depending on the material.
• The advantage of polystyrene is that once again it is easy to install. Although be aware that you can’t nail anything to it and insects are able to tunnel through them. We recommend treating with insecticide before installing if you were going to do this yourself.
• Spray Foam. Spray foam is a pricier option, although it is very effective so it may be worth investing in and not having to worry about up-keeping it.

Remember that if you’re installing insulation in the walls this will likely require a building consent.

Gaps where air may be getting in

• Window Surroundings. Make sure to seal around windows correctly. A handy tip to remember for those with wooden joinery is that you can actually buy stick on window seals, these are able to eliminate draft effectively.
• It is recommended that double glazing is installed in houses today, although this can be very pricey! Try asking around about more temporary fixes such as stick on glazing options.
• Under Doors. It is worth investing in decent draft stoppers that sit in front of doors, preventing draft from unheated spaces and the cold air coming in from outside.
• Cat Flaps. It is quite difficult to eliminate the draft from coming in around ordinary cat flaps. Although, you can buy draft proof versions of these that may be worth looking into if it is causing an issue.

Ventilation

• It is a requirement that all bathrooms have either an extractor fan installed or an openable window. The need for this is so important for dispersing condensation and unnecessary moisture from wet areas in your home!
• Range hoods are also recommended to be installed in your kitchen and vented outside! Sometimes we find rangehood vents in the ceiling space, the issue with this is that it is only transferring moisture to an even riskier place in the home and causing further moisture damage.

While carrying out our house inspections we often identify little to no insulation is installed in underfloor and ceiling spaces. As of July 2019, there is going to be a legal requirement for all rental properties to have floor and ceiling insulation so we urge you to please be checking and topping up current insulation, if not installing it in the first place. Our inspections also include checks for moisture where we find that most wet areas with unsatisfactory ventilation have elevated moisture readings; this is causing unnecessary damage to homes as it is such an easy fix!

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