Episode 23 :: Three key ingredients for a warm, comfortable home
Insulation, ventilation and heating work together to:
- Keep air fresh and dry
- Remove moisture and reduce the risk of mould and mildew growth
- Reduce maintenance costs in your home, and
- Keep your home at healthy, comfortable temperatures year-round.
Find out more about how these ingredients work together in your house.
Here's how to get these things sorted in your home.
Plug draughts and sort dampness issues
For your insulation, ventilation and heating to work properly together, you need to plug up holes that heat can escape from, and identify and fix any dampness issues:
- Plug up draughts - fix broken windows and other gaps, block up unused fireplaces, and install draught stopping around doors and windows.
- Look for sources of damp, like leaks and moisture under the house, and get them sorted. Find out more about tackling dampness.
- Install externally vented fans in areas that produce a lot of moisture - kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.
Invest in insulation and heating - it's worth it
Get your ceiling and underfloor insulation sorted so it can hold in the heat better.
Find out if your insulation is adequate.
Install a clean, efficient heating system that makes it easier and cheaper to heat your home properly.
Find out more about choosing a heater.
Check out ENERGYWISE™ grants for insulation and clean heating.
Ventilate and heat properly
- Heat your home to at least 18˚C when you're home, which is the minimum temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation.
- Open your doors and windows for a few minutes each day to replace old, stale air indoor with fresh outdoor air.
