Category: Insulation
-
Buildnz Designex
I’m just back from three days at Buildnz Designex, working on the Homestar stand and I’m fairly exhausted after talking to so many interesting designers, architects, builders and loads of product suppliers. Trade shows and expos can be a gamble. They’re expensive to attend as an exhibitor, they take time out of ‘productive work’ and…
-
Four Good Reasons to use Aridon
According to kiwi inventor Stephen Pinkney and his partner Christina Gomes, there are four good reasons to use Aridon when building a house. At the most fundamental level, Aridon is a new type of wall insulation made from moulded expanded polystyrene. But there’s more to this inovation. Click here to listen to the interview in…
-
Why You Can’t Rely on the Building Code
If you’re reading this, then you’re interested in building a home that performs well. And if you want a home that performs well, you can’t rely on the Building Code to achieve this. This is because, in my opinion, the Building Code has very little to do with sustainability or actually building a good home.…
-
Attic Island Provides Roof Storage Space
How do you store stuff in your roof space without it affecting your insulation? Attic Island is a simple solution that provides a sturdy platform for roof storage and access above your insulation. Picture this; you or your clients have just paid to have a good amount of insulation installed in the ceiling, but then…
-
How to Insulate a Concrete Floor Slab
UPDATE: Check out this article for a list of slab edge insulation solutions, and episode 125 for my interview with Henry Edney of MAXRaft. The first thing to consider when looking into different types of concrete floors is why it’s so important to insulate the floor slab. To do this, we need to consider where…
-
Housing is a Health Issue
Poor quality housing is housing that doesn’t do it’s job well. So what’s the job of a house? I think it’s to keep us warm, dry and healthy. These are the basics. Above that it’s a place for us to live; grow, entertain, learn, rest and share happy times with friends and family. Perhaps sometimes…
-
How good is the Energywise Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart Scheme?
The official results are out and it makes for some very interesting reading. The team at He Kainga Oranga have released their evaluation report of the government’s $340 million Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart (WUNZ:HS) programme.
-
Why are New Zealand Homes so cold and unhealthy?
The inside of many (most?) New Zealand homes is pretty cold and damp. It’s no coincidence then, that New Zealand also has one of the highest rates of asthma in the OECD. Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman is perhaps the countries leading expert in the connection between our housing stock and our health and I was privileged…
-
Episode 3: Insulation part 2
Episode 3 of the Home Style Green podcast is now available in iTunes. In part 2 of this insulation introduction, I discuss the main types of insulation used for ceilings, floors and wall. For more information about insulation materials, check out Level.org.nz from BRANZ: http://www.level.org.nz/fileadmin/downloads/Materials/LevelMInsul.pdf For more on the properties of wool, including great microscopic…
-
Heat Transfer
In my second podcast, I discussed heat transfer and the the types and styles of insulation. I talked about ‘R-value’ and the technical meaning of thermal resistance. Well, without a full transcript (or even detailed show notes at this stage), I thought it might be worth doing quick follow-up entry with some of the content.…