Home ventilation will matter more than ever this summer – here's what you can do about it
SARAH HEERINGA
Fresh air is clearly necessary for our health – there’s not a lot of wellbeing without it. And that’s as true inside our homes as it is on our busy streets.
Many old New Zealand houses have insufficient airflow and even some new builds lack adequate ventilation systems, says Matthew Cutler-Welsh, a manager with the New Zealand Green Building Council.
Throughout winter, it can cause dampness and mould. But good air circulation is just as critical during the warmer months – and especially so as we head into this next El Nino summer.
Things are getting hotter the world over, thanks to climate change. The Northern Hemisphere’s summer of 2023 was the Earth’s hottest since global records began in 1880, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York.
Without ventilation, hot weather leads to rising humidity levels in our homes, boosting the growth of mould and mildew. These fungi can release spores into the air, causing respiratory problems and exacerbating allergies or asthma.
Hot weather can also increase indoor air pollutants such as particulate matter (tiny particles suspended in the air) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be toxic to people and pets. You know that plastic smell of new fabric, vinyl or MDF furniture?
When we bring new clothes and furnishings home, they can off-gas VOCs, creating air pollution. The same can happen when we use high-VOC paints, nail polish remover,glues, household cleaners and aerosols.
The effects of VOCs are made worse by warm weather as it speeds up the chemical reactions that produce these pollutants, increasing their concentration.
Then there are stuffy, airless bedrooms – delivering a poor night’s sleep, as well as headaches and lethargy during the day.
The good news is that there are cost-effective and simple ways to deal with these problems. Here are five tips for improving the air in your home this summer.
1. Plug gaps. It might seem counter-intuitive, but doing this helps stop outdoor pollutants from seeping in. “It's important to distinguish between healthy ventilation through windows and vents, and drafts or leakiness, which is infiltration,” says Cutler-Welsh. “We never want to rely on cracks and gaps for ventilation, as this can be dank and dirty air. The building code confirms it is not clean.”
2. Use dedicated ventilation. The simplest form of this is extraction – such as is used in kitchens and bathrooms to remove moisture and other pollutants.
“You definitely want to be running a hob or a range hood when a gas hob is on. If you don't have one, then at the very least open nearby windows,” says Cutler-Welsh. “Moisture is a by-product of gas combustion, but you’ve also got a whole cocktail of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide.”
If possible, switch to cooking by induction.
3. Add vents. By installing wall vents or filtered wall inlets, you create a planned route for filtered air to come into your home. Cutler-Welsh suggests installing a powered fan that runs continuously in the background. These can almost be silent, are very low in energy consumption, yet will help reduce moisture, carbon monoxide and other unwanted elements from the air.
4. Use natural cleaners. Dust and mould can affect the health of those living in the household – but so can chemicals from harsh cleaning products. Try healthier alternatives, like these cleaners reviewed by a reader panel.
5. Don't rely on heat pumps. Most heat pumps do not have a built-in ventilation function, they recirculate the same air, similar to the recirculation setting in a car. After a while you need to add fresh air, or you will have overly high levels of CO2, says Cutler-Welsh.
To be sure you have enough healthy air moving through your home, you need to open your windows to catch a fresh breeze, or use vents and a mechanical ventilation system.
HEALTHY AIR FOR THE FOREVER HOUSE
The Forever House, is a lowcost, sustainable home build project that’s transforming a derelict house into a warm, dry, eco-friendly and low-cost home.
The house is currently being painted with low-VOC paints from Resene. The Forever House will also have improved air quality with the installation of an HRV AirSense ventilation system.
“Supporting the Forever House aligns perfectly with our mission to help all Kiwis have a dry, warm healthy home,” says Norman Woods, Group General Manager for HRV.
The Forever House project is run by the Ara Education Charitable Trust (AECT), an innovative collaboration creating work and training opportunities for South Auckland school-leavers.
Once completed, the Forever House will be put up for auction by Ray White on 12 December 2023.
If you want to enjoy the ultimate work-life balance, a singular semi-rural property on the doorstep of Waikanae township offers the best of both worlds.
The four-hectare oasis of seclusion and lifestyle, at 48 Elizabeth St, combines a three-bedroom house and a guest cottage with exotic grounds, orchard, numerous outbuildings and five paddocks.
It would suit those seeking space, privacy and self-sufficiency as much as contractors wanting a comprehensive infrastructure to run their business from home.
The 134-square metre house was built 18 years ago to reflect a country setting that’s just a short walk from the village and train station.
It opens on three sides to bullnose verandas and wraparound decking that steps out to rolling lawn and an amazing mix of succulents, yuccas and palms that lend a sub-tropical flavour.
The vendors say their cosy home was designed to optimise indoor-outdoor living.
“We wanted a functional house with great flow. It was built for the sun, which sets 9.30pm in mid-summer and then the full moon is like daylight.
“The ambience of nature, trees and birdlife — tuis, wood pigeons, parakeets — is amazing. This is what life is all about.”
The living/dining room has rimu floorboards, two bay windows, French doors to decking and a woodburner while the openplan kitchen has an under-bench oven, ceramic cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher and granite benchtops.
Two of the double-bedrooms open to a veranda, including the main bedroom (which also has a walk-through wardrobe to an ensuite), the bathroom has a showerover-bath and the laundry is separate.
Behind the house is the guest cottage, which combines a studio/bedroom with a kitchen, wheelchair-friendly bathroom and deck (being sold ‘as is’).
There’s also a large shed near the entrance to the property that integrates a workshop with garaging for at least four cars and a big blue barn of approximately 129sqm with a woodburner, versatile mezzanine and office.
Complementing the picturesque house grounds is a fruit and nut orchard, with red and white figs, avacados ,plums, pears, apples, mandarins, limes, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, macadamias and walnuts.
There also are tunnel houses and a greenhouse for growing produce yearround.
Other features include a relocatable offthe-grid studio (without services), a vast supply of hardwood for firewood, shearing yards and extensive parking.
“This is what you could call a contractor’s retreat, where you can live-work-andthrive in magical seclusion,” agent Della Randall says.
“It offers the perfect work-life balance and would especially suit a family business with its unique mix of recreation and infrastructure, including two massive workshops. “The land is currently zoned Rural Production but borders a residential zone and is just up the road from Waikanae township.”